Sleet's Choice
by A Warrior At Heart
Summary: Sleet's life was peaceful and easy until tragedy strikes, leaving her and her brother Slate as orphans, alone and vulnerable. Sleet vows to protect her brother, but she must learn to adapt quickly to survive in a world teeming with danger. She must make difficult choices, including ones that could cost her what she loves the most. First novella in the Rise of the New Clans series.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Blood roared like a swollen river in Sleet's ears. Her breath came in desperate pants as her paws tore up the earth. Bone-cold fear jolted through her with every pound of her heart, keeping her eyes wide and alert and her paws moving. _Keep going. Don't stop. _She repeated the words like a desperate chant in her head. _Whatever you do, don't stop. _

Slate's shadowy gray pelt blended with the heavy night as he splinted alongside her. His yellow gaze flashed to her, his eyes a reflection of her terror. He let out a high-pitched yelp as his foot caught on a tree root and stumbled to a halt. He whimpered, favoring the twisted paw.

_No! _Sleet sent wet leaves flying as she skidded to a halt. She grabbed Slate by his shoulders. "Don't stop! We have to keep moving!"

Slate gazed up at her, his huge eyes conveying his pain and desperation. Sleet held her breath, begging him with her eyes, but her brother took off again.

Sleet cast a glance at the misty forest behind them before she darted after Slate. Ragged pants and pounding pawsteps sounded in her ears, which she wasn't sure was her imagination or real. She caught glimpses of the malicious glints of evil eyes watching them from the shadows, chasing them.

A bright sunny day flashed in front of Sleet's eyes, contrasting sharply with the shadowed trees and torrential rain. She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the image. Squeals of delight echoed in her ears. Sleet fought off the overwhelming urge to curl up and sob. _I have to keep moving. We have to get away—get far away from them._

Scarlet blood exploded. A pool stained her paws sickly red. Curved claws claws came nearer, reaching for her— "No!" Slate halted abruptly. She scrunched her eyes up, trying to dispel the images. Low voices grumbled. Evil eyes flashed. Dark green eyes turning on her. "No, no, no!"

"Sleet, are you okay?" Sleet cracked open her eyelids. Slate peered at her, concern filling his round face. "What's wrong?"

Sleet shook out her fluffy gray pelt. "I'm fine. We need to keep moving!"

The siblings began running again, as fast as their short legs could carry them through the wild stormy forest. They ran as if a pack of mad foxes were nipping at their heels; bounding over fallen logs, and careening down hillsides. The storm roared its fury all around them; a gale wind tossed thick branches and sent leaves fluttering to the ground, and the pounding rain beat down on their backs. The fog took away what little visibility Sleet and Slate had in the darkness, so several times they narrowly missed colliding with a tree trunk or low-hanging branch.

"Sleet!" The gray she-cat stopped, turning to look at Slate who had pulled up short a tail-length behind her.

"Are you okay?" Sleet peered anxiously at Slate's injured paw that he held close to his body.

"I can't go any further." The little tom's eyes were half-shut with exhaustion. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I'm tired too." Sleet let her shoulders sag. Her tail dropped as adrenaline wore off, and exhaustion swept over her like a breeze.

"Let's rest under there." Slate pointed with his tail to a large bush thick with warm season leaves. The siblings crawled under the spiky branches, and curled up together, asleep before they hit the ground.

Movements against her side stirred Sleet out of a deep dark sleep. She lifted her head, haziness clouding her mind. _Where are we? Where's Mom and Dad? _She wondered, before everything came rushing back to her like a lightning strike to her heart.

"Slate?" Sleet turned her head. Concern flooded through her as she saw her brother trembling in his sleep. She nudged him, and realized that he was sobbing. "Slate, wake up!"

The dark gray tom woke with a jolt and blinked the cloudiness from his teary yellow eyes. He met Sleet's blue gaze as another sob shook his small body. Though he said nothing, Sleet understood how he felt. They were the same emotions that swirled inside her. She pulled her brother close to her and wrapped her tail around his body in a tender embrace. They held each other for the rest of the night though neither of them slept another wink.

It seemed like seasons had passed before dawn finally broke. Golden sun rays peeked over the pale gray horizon, and filtered through the branches onto the tranquil forest floor. The dawn light chased away the wild storm from the night before, as if it could erase the nightmares, fix the damage. _If only that was true, _Sleet thought with a pang of sorrow.

The branches of the bush scraped her back as she slid out from beneath their sleeping place and shook out her damp coat.

"What do we do now?" Slate stood behind his sister, his eyes wide and questioning. His words hung in the air.

Sleet swallowed. _What do we do now?_ "I guess…I guess we have to learn how to survive on our own. They're not here to take care of us anymore, so we have to take care of ourselves."

Slate nodded, but he didn't meet her eyes. "I was afraid so."

Sleet touched her nose to her brother's forehead. "Don't worry. I'll take care of us. I'll protect you. I promise." Her words became a promise, a vow, not only to Slate but to herself. _I will do whatever it takes to protect my brother. _

"So." Sleet attempted to muster a determined smile. "We need to eat. I think the best way to start is to teach ourselves to hunt."

With Sleet leading the way, the siblings sent off into the forest. The forest floor was scattered with fallen debris from the storm, hazardous if they forgot to look where they stepped. The rain had washed many of the scent trails away, making hunting that much harder.

A slender branch snapped under Sleet's paw, and a flurry of wings reached her ears. She glanced up just in time to see the sleek tail feathers of a chaffinch vanish into the treetops. _Ack, cloud-fluff!_

"We should be as quiet as possible," Sleet whispered over her shoulder to Slate.

They traveled a little deeper into the forest before Slate put his tail on Sleet's shoulder to stop her. Wordlessly, he pointed ahead of them between the trees where the sun shone on a grassy glade. Sleet wrinkled her brow, confused, until she saw a plump squirrel snuffling at the fallen leaves, totally oblivious to the young hunters three fox-lengths away.

Sleet grinned. "Well spotted, Slate!" She gestured with her tail toward the glade. "I'm going to sneak around to the other side. You scare the squirrel toward me."

Slate nodded, so Sleet slipped off into the forest. She focused on where she put her paws, trying to move without making a sound like she'd seen her parents do many times before. _We've got to do this right. We might not be able to find more prey._

Sleet sunk into a low crouch as she slipped into a tall bunch of grass. She parted the blades with her muzzle, and peered out into the glade. The squirrel sat back on its haunches, nibbling an acorn, now about equidistant between her and Slate. The dark gray she-cat raised her tail, giving her brother the signal.

Slate began to stalk forward, relying on his instincts to guide his inexperienced paws. Sleet's body quivered with excitement as she licked her chops, imagining how good the squirrel would taste. Her empty belly growled angrily. _I can't wait to sink my teeth into that juicy—_

A loud rustle sounded from behind her. Sleet looked all around herself in alarm. Her eyes landed on a fallen branch with crumpled leaves that her excited tail had disturbed. She looked back just in time to see the squirrel turn and dart toward a sapling oak tree. _Oh, no! I'm so stupid! _

Slate dashed after the squirrel, scattering leaves and twigs in his wake, all carefulness forgotten. Sleet joined the chase, but she was too far behind. The squirrel reached the oak and skittered nimbly up the side. Slate skidded to a stop at the foot of the tree, gazing after the prey with a frustrated huff.

_I won't lose it! _Sleet sped up as she got closer to the tree. When she was a tail-length away she bunched her muscles and vaulted onto the trunk. Her tiny claws sunk into the bark, but when she tried to retract them, they wouldn't budge. "Aw, cloud-fluff! Stinky squirrel dung," Sleet cursed. Above her, the squirrel chattered at her, as if taunting her, before its fluffy tail vanished into the thick foliage.

Sleet wrenched her claws from the tree trunk, and dropped to the ground before she rounded on Slate. "Are you dumb? How did you not catch the squirrel? We needed that prey! It's your fault if we don't eat today!"

Slate looked like he was going to yell back, but he deflated. He stared at his paws. "I'm sorry. I froze for a moment. I should've been faster."

Sleet stared at him, her mouth open. Her shoulders slumped, all fire burned out. "No, I'm sorry. It's my fault that we lost it. I got too excited and I alerted the squirrel."

A low growl came from behind them. "What are you two doing here?"

Sleet and Slate swung around to see a ragged tabby tom standing a fox-length away. He fixed an irate yellow glare on them.

Sleet summoned her courage. She puffed out her chest as she stepped forward. "We're hunting."

The old tom shoved his face into hers. His flea-bitten ear twitched. "You're hunting…on my territory?"

Sleet gulped as she took a pace backwards.

"We're sorry," Slate spoke up. "We—"

"—will leave. Right now." The ragged tom growled. "And never trespass on my territory again."

Sleet nodded hurriedly. Slate and her turned and raced away as fast as their short legs could carry them. Her heartbeat pounded loudly in her ears in tune with the fear and hopelessness coursing through her. _There are so many dangers in this world, and we're just kits. How are we going to survive if we can't hunt or protect ourselves? How can I protect Slate if I run at the first sign of danger?_

* * *

**Hi, thank you for reading the first chapter of my novella _Sleet's_ _Choice_! That is the current title, but it might change. I am currently planning for it to have about fifteen chapters (about half the length of one of my books) that explores Sleet's story. She is an interesting character from my series Rise of the New Clans and I wanted to write about her. If you haven't read the first two books of the series that I've completed I definitely recommend doing so. It isn't necessary to in the beginning, but they will provide some context for later chapters. If you came here from reading _Fractured_ _Peace_ and _Land_ _of_ _Shadowed_ _Stars_, then welcome! Thank you all for reading!**

**\- A Warrior At Heart**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

"Nice catch, Slate!" Sleet nodded approvingly as her brother looked up, the robin she had chased toward him dangling from his jaws. She arched her back as Slate trotted over to her, enjoying the way the sunlight warmed her sore muscles and made her sleek coat shine like silver. The pair had both grown in the last three moons, losing their fluffy kit pelts and kit-like innocence as they became bigger, sleeker, and tougher.

_We can handle anything as long as we're together, _Sleet thought proudly, her heart soaring like a bird with confidence.

"Here we go." Slate dropped the robin at his sister's paws. "There's enough for both of us to fill our bellies."

"Good thing," Sleet meowed. "I'm ravenous!"

They settled at the roots of a beech tree and gobbled down their prey in mere moments. Once she finished, Sleet settled back in a pool of sunlight with a satisfied purr, warm and full. Slate picked the bones clean, then sat and used his paw to wash his face.

"Hey, Sleet." The dark gray she-cat raised her head to see Slate looking at her, his eyes glittering like sunlight on water with mischief. "Tag. You're the hunter!" He poked her shoulder before darting away as nimble as a squirrel.

"Aww, Slate," Sleet complained. She flopped back with a mock sigh. Slate paused a few tail-length away, titling his head. "I guess I'll have to get you, mouse!" Sleet sprung to her paws and raced after him. Slate squealed like a kit as she bowled him over and pinned him down triumphantly. "You're the hunter now!"

Slate grunted his sister leaped off of him. "You're too good." He heaved himself to his paws, and shook the crumpled leaves from his pelt.

Sleet couldn't help noticing how her brother's pelt had grown thick over his large frame with broad shoulders, and how his yellow eyes gleamed. _Slate looks so much like him, _she thought as memories flashed through her mind. The images of a large tom nearly identical to Slate, with warm yellow eyes and a jolly expression, next to a slender dappled gray she-cat with serious blue eyes but nothing but love for her family, appeared in her mind's eye. Sorrow crept around Sleet's carefully placed walls, curling around her heart. _I still miss them. _

Sleet jerked back to the present as Slate lunged at her. She rolled out of the way and sent her brother a teasing smile. "You're going to have to do better than that."

Slate whirled around and took off after Sleet. The dark gray she-cat wove between the trees, relishing the burning in her muscles and the way her agile body allowed her to twist and dodge with ease while Slate's bulky frame made it difficult for him to keep up. She sprang high over a fallen log and dashed through a thicket of hemlock saplings before her energy began to fade.

The siblings burst from the treeline into a grassy glade. The open ground allowed Slate to speed up, catching quickly up to his sister. "Aha! Got you!" He crowed, tackling Sleet to the ground.

Sleet groaned as Slate's weight crushed her against the ground. "Get off of me, you big furball."

"Sorry." Slate climbed off of her, looking concerned. "Did I hurt you?"

"Nope." Sleet jumped lightly to her paws and dove at her brother. She batted at his ears with soft paws. Slate grinned as he tried to use his shoulder ram into her side, but she danced out of his reach.

A joyful laugh bubbled to Sleet's lips as Slate swatted at her, and she dodged again. It felt good to play with her brother in the sunlit glade, carefree as the kits they had once been. The tough, serious mask she wore to stay strong and focused on survival melted away like snow in sunshine. For once, she was able to forget all of her worries, all of her sorrow.

Slate ducked his head as Sleet swung a blow at his muzzle. His swiped a paw at her forepaws, unbalancing her for a moment. Sleet slipped to the right, then bunched her muscles and leaped onto her brother's back, toppling him to the ground. The pair rolled over and over as they play-fought until they flopped onto the grass, panting with exhaustion.

"Life is good," Slate declared. He sighed with contentment as he stretched out on his side and shut his eyes.

"Mhmm," Sleet agreed. She lay on her back, watching the fluffy clouds coast by in the crystal-blue sky.

Slate turned his head toward his sister. "Do you think it will always be like this?"

Sleet met her brother's gaze with a frown. "What do you mean?"

"Do you think we'll always be together, hunting together, helping each other, watching each other's backs? Will it always just be us?"

Sleet reached out to nudge Slate with her nose. "Of course. You're my brother. Three moons ago, I promised that I would always protect you. I mean to keep that promise. Don't you think we'll always be together?"

Slate avoided her gaze, his ears pinned back. "Yeah. I guess so. But you know, someday I'd like to find a place to live permanently, so we don't have to always keep moving. I want to have a mate and kits one day."

Sleet stared at him, surprise churning through her. Then she laughed. "You have everything figured out, don't you?"

Sleet glanced at her. "Don't you have ideas for the future?"

"Nope." Sleet stood and shook out her fur. "I take things one day at a time. Besides, my place is with you. Come on, let's get going."

The siblings reentered the forest as they started on their way again. The trees cast long shadows as the sun sank in the sky. Fireflies sparked here and there like tiny stars, and crickets chirped, but Slate and Sleet traveled in silence.

_Is Slate okay? _Sleet wondered. She looked after her brother who walked a few tail-lengths ahead of her. _He's been quiet ever since we left the glade. _She picked up her pace, catching up to her brother. "Slate, is everything—"

"Well, what do we have here?" A haughty sneer interrupted Sleet. The siblings froze as four tall cats materialized out of the shadows. Their collective scent overpowered Sleet's nose. It wasn't like anything she could remember before, but it tugged at a buried memory, bringing with it tremors of bone-chilling fear.

"It looks like two little kits have wandered onto our territory, Hornet," another cat, a broad-shouldered pale gray and white tom said to the first, a reddish-brown tabby tom with dark green eyes.

The tabby tom smiled maliciously. "Are you lost, kitties?"

Slate frowned. "No, we know exactly where we are. This isn't your land. We were here a few days ago."

"Well, it is our territory now," a tortoiseshell she-cat retorted. She fixed Slate with a steely hazel glare that made him take a step back.

"You can't just claim this land." Though Slate's words were indignant and his stance was forceful, his twitching tail tip betrayed his uneasiness. "A lot of cats hunt here. It belongs to everyone."

"Yes, we can claim it." The gray and white tom shoved his face into Slate's. "We just did. You're not going to stop us."

Sleet's gaze never left the tabby tom as the argument between her brother and the other cats grew more heated. Something about this tom, Hornet, felt so familiar—and not in a good way. His unsheathed claws sent shivers down her spine. His green eyes made her body tremble involuntarily with frost-cold fear.

A sunny day appeared in front of Sleet's eyes. She was a kit again, squeaking with joy as she chased a butterfly with her brother. Two grown cats watched them fondly from outside a den woven from ivy and ferns. Shadows materialized from the trees, racing toward them, choking them in their dark grasp. Sticky blood pooled at her paws. She screamed at the top of her tiny lungs. A dark cat turned toward her, his tabby stripes like shadows. Blood stained his paws. His dark green eyes glinted as he reached for her—

_That's it! _Sleet snapped back to the present. _Those eyes. It's him. _Fury pounded through her veins, but fear overwhelmed her. "Slate—" She was ashamed by how much her voice quaked. "Slate, let's go. Let's just go."

Slate cast her a confused look, but he followed her as she turned to leave.

"You're not going anywhere." A new voice growled. The last cat, a ginger she-cat swung around to block their path. She bared her teeth at them before she looked up at her comrades. "Hornet, Freeze, Berry, what should we do with them?"

"I'm not sure, Vixen." The tortoiseshell she-cat, Berry, circled them, studying them closely.

"That one said that a lot of cats hunt here," Hornet noted, flicking his tail at Slate. He flexed his claws. "Maybe we should kill them and leave their bodies as a warning to other cats."

Sleet pressed close to her brother as he gulped. _We have to get out of here. _She could feel all of her confidence ebbing away like a tide, so all she wanted to do was run far away like a scaredy-kit.

Vixen tilted her head. "I don't know. They appear hearty and strong, and they're young enough to be molded into fine soldiers. They would make good recruits. The Sandy Hollow Camp could use more young cats."

Freeze nodded slowly, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"No!" Sleet blurted out. She clamped her jaw shut as all eyes turned to her. Slate looked like he was holding his breath, while the other cats all glared at her. "I mean, you wouldn't want to take us. We're a little more than scrawny kits and we can barely feed and protect ourselves. We would be horrible recruits."

"That can be changed," Vixen said.

"Also," Sleet continued, desperation in every word, "my brother is weak and cowardly. He's a big scaredy-kit and a burden because I have to take care of him all the time. You wouldn't want him."

"Well, then," Hornet purred sinisterly. "If that's all true, we should go with my plan." He slithered a few steps forward, but glanced back over his shoulder at Freeze. The gray and white tom gave a curt nod. As quick as a snake, Hornet pounced on Slate. He sank his claws into Slate's right foreleg. The dark gray tom let out a scream that made birds take flight from the trees around them.

_He's hurting my brother! _Fury roared in Sleet's chest. She snarled as she raked her claws across Hornet's left eye. Hornet yelped, and the other cats rushed to his side, giving Sleet the distraction she needed. She pulled Slate to his feet and shoved him in front of her as they fled.

After what seemed like moons had past, Sleet finally allowed herself to slow. The waxing moon bathed the forest in ghostly silver light as she peered between the trees back the way they had come. She focused her ears, but couldn't hear anything other than the rustle of wind in the leaves and the chirps of crickets. _Thank goodness. _Sleet released a tense breath.

"Slate," the dark gray she-cat called to her brother, who trailed a ways behind her. "We can stop now. I don't think we're being followed."

Slate merely grunted as he flopped down on the ground, using his tongue to wash his mangled foreleg sticky with dried blood.

Sleet cocked her head. "Is everything okay?"

The gray tom said nothing; continuing to clean his wound with rhythmic laps of his tongue.

"Slate, talk to me."

Slate raised his head, and his sister was shocked to see that his yellow eyes burned like little flames. "How could you?'

Sleet blinked. "How could I what?"

"How could you say those things about me?"

Sleet stepped back. "I said those things to save you."

"But was it necessary to call me weak and cowardly and a burden? You almost got me killed!"

"Well, maybe some of them are true. You need to toughen up a little because it's just us against all of the dangers in this world. I can't always protect you!"

Sleet clamped her mouth shut, regretting her words as soon as they'd flown out of her mouth. Slate stared at her as if she was a stranger. His eyes were pools of hurt shimmering with tears. "How could you?"

"Slate, I'm sorry." Sleet tired to nuzzle her brother but he scooted backward. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean anything I just said because I said it in anger. I was honestly trying to protect you back there. I'm sorry for that too."

Slate nodded hesitantly. This time, he let his sister press her nose to his forehead.

"I will always protect you," Sleet breathed, but inside she couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of resentment.

* * *

**I hoped you enjoyed chapter two! There really isn't a schedule for updating right now, really just whenever I have time. These two have been interesting chapters for me to write because I've been exploring young Sleet and Slate as characters. If they're kind of boring for you, it's because they are setting up plot twists and conflicts to come. I would love to know your impressions of Sleet and Slate so far and any comments or constructive criticism in a review if you have time.**

**Reviews:**

**The Unnamed Guest - Thank you**

**\- A Warrior At Heart**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Pale frosty-cold specks fluttered down in a steady shower from the gloomy sky choked with clouds. Sleet fluffed up her thick cold season pelt against the harsh wind as snowflakes speckled her fur like dapples. She sneezed as the wind tossed freezing crystals into her nose, and stirred up snow from the tops of the belly-deep drifts. As far as she could see, the forest was shrouded in a shimmering frosty veil of white.

The musky scent of mouse wafted into Sleet's nose in the midst of the frosty smell of snow and the crisp scent of the cold. She latched onto it like a mother to a kit, and using the scent as a guide, she followed it around the side of the snow-crusted trunk of a birch tree. Her eyes landed on the dusky-brown mouse as it scabbled furiously at a snowdrift.

Sleet's eyes flashed to the shadowy pillars of tree trunks, a dark smudge in the distance. She caught a glimpse of dark gray fur like dawn mist above a lake. Her ears twitched. _Good, Slate's in position. _Her belly was so empty it ached. _We can't mess up this catch. It might be our last for days. _

Sleet's haunches quivered as she slunk forward. She treaded lightly, moving with practiced steps painstakingly learned after four moons of experience. All distractions faded away—even her grumpy belly—as her senses trained solely on her prey.

Once she was a tail-length away, Sleet halted and sank to her belly. The mouse tipped its nose upward, sniffing the air, though it was still unaware of her. She pounced, landing with ease just short of the mouse, which she knew would be enough to send it scampering away in blind terror.

_Right into Slate's waiting paws, _Sleet thought with a satisfied grin. She watched as the mouse scramble to get away from her, oblivious to Slate who lurked a few fox-lengths ahead of it. His haunches wiggled as he got ready to pounce.

_No!_ Sleet leaped forward as the mouse veered away just in time to avoid Slate's waiting paws. The belly-deep snow dragged her down like quicksand as she flailed through the drifts. She'd never make it in time.

Slate sent snow flying as he sprang after the mouse. For a moment, it looked like he was going to make it, but then he pulled up short, his face twisting into a pained wince as he squeezed his foreleg against his side.

Sleet's heart dropped as the mouse vanished into a hole in a snowbank. Her stomach groaned in lamentation. _That was the only prey we've spotted all day._

"Slate," Sleet hailed her brother as she trotted up to him. "Why did you stop?"

"My leg hurts," Slate huffed. He set his paw on the ground, testing it.

Sleet stared at him. "Why didn't you tell me that before? I would have had you rest while I hunted."

Slate dropped his gaze, his ears pulled back. "I thought my leg was okay. I wanted to help."

"Well, your misjudgement cost us the only prey we've scented all day!" Sleet's neck fur stood on end as she raised her hackles.

Slate's tail drooped. "I'm sorry."

"If sorries filled our bellies we'd be as plump as warm season rabbits," Sleet snarled. Her ferocious pangs of hunger only amplified her anger. "It's your fault if we don't eat today—or for the next few days. We have to be strong to survive, especially during the cold season. How could you be so daft when you know you're not fully healed?"

"It's your fault that I'm injured in the first place." Slate's eyes flashed. His dark fur fluffed up so he appeared twice his usual size, and not because of the cold. "If you hadn't said those things to those cats a moon ago, Hornet wouldn't have hurt me." Sleet saw his wound close up for the first time in a while as he waved his leg. A nasty pink scar split the fur along the front of Slate's leg from his elbow to ankle. It had been a large and deep wound and the bleeding that had taken ages to cease, leaving him weak for several days. Though the blood had long since dried and Slate was regaining his strength, the wound still pained the dark gray tom immensely.

Sleet lashed her tail. "But then we would be their prisoners, or even worse off—dead."

"I'd rather be dead than be with a sister who thinks I'm a useless burden!" Slate whirled around and stalked away, vanishing quickly into the heavy snow shower.

"Slate!" Sleet took a step, but stopped herself. She sighed and let her shoulders slump. _I don't know what to do with him anymore. I keep letting my temper get the better of me, so I say things that hurt Slate—but I can't ignore that there is some truth to them._ She cast her gaze to the sky that looked as dismal as she felt. _How did we ever get here? _She could feel the void between her and her brother—ever present for the last moon—creep even more wide.

Sleet sunk into a snowbank, letting the cold wreath around her and chill her to the bone. _I deserve to freeze for what I've done to Slate. _Her head was a muddled mess of conflicting emotions between her exasperation with Slate, her guilt over his hurt, and her confusion as to the right thing to do. Underneath it all, a bud of resentment began to bloom.

Sleet didn't know how long had past before she dragged herself to her feet. Her paws were numb and she shivered, but the cold had provided some clarity. She fluffed up her fur for warmth and set off to find her brother.

"Slate!" Sleet shouted his name as she wandered through the trees, doing her best to follow her brother's tricky scent trail half-obscured by the falling snow. The light faded quickly from the sky, making the forest seem a mysterious world of snow and shadow, but it did nothing to help her locate Slate.

Slate's fresh scent trail led her at last to a thicket of sapling hemlocks. Sleet poked her head under the spiky branches arched under the weight of the snow. "Slate?" She spotted a familiar gray ball curled up in the shadows, but he didn't budge when she called his name. "Slate, come on."

The fluffy gray ball only shifted away from her.

Sleet withdrew her head. "Slate, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for yelling at you and criticizing you. It's not your fault that your leg isn't healed." When he didn't reply, she turned to leave. "You were right; it's my fault because I'm the one who said those things that led to Hornet attacking you."

"Sleet, wait." The dark gray she-cat stopped in her tracks, and glanced behind her. Slate stood outside the thicket, looking as bad as she probably did, but his expression was earnest. "I'm sorry for what I said. I wasn't right. All you have ever done is try to protect me and help us survive. The only one at fault is Hornet, the cat who actually wounded me." His gaze dropped to his paws. "I can feel this gap widening between us, and I think it's my fault. I've put distance between us because I can feel that you've changed. I honestly don't know who you are anymore."

Tears formed in the corners of Sleet's eyes as she shoved her muzzle into her brother's pelt, drawing him into an embrace. She couldn't hide the way his words stung like a strike to the nose. _The chasm between us isn't your fault, _she wanted to say. _It's mine. I know I'm not that carefree kit anymore, but I've changed because I have to. I have to be tough for us to survive. I have to be hard to protect you. I don't want it, but I can't ignore my resentment that's driving the wedge between us. _

Slate stirred after a few moments, standing and arching his back to stretch out his forelegs. "I'm hungry."

Sleet stood as well and shook the snow out of her fur. "Me too. I don't know what to do because we've lost the only prey we scented all day. We'll die from starvation by the end of the moon at this rate. I think we have to search for new hunting grounds."

Slate cocked his head. "But we've explored the entire forest. Where else would we go?"

"Then we have to leave the forest." Sleet looked solemnly at her brother. "Are you up for that?"

Slate hesitated, but nodded. "Okay. If you think that's what we need to do to survive."

The siblings curled up to sleep beneath the thicket, huddled together for warmth. The steadily snowfall obscured the moon as it rose and set. As dawn crept over the land, their empty bellies shook Slate and Sleet from a restless slumber. They set off as the snow began to lighten up for the first time in three days.

Dusk was gathering again under a clear star-filled sky as they emerged from the treeline onto a barren hillside. Sleet's pawsteps crunched in the snow as she peered down the hill at a peculiar landscape of sharp-angled structures and glittering lights that looked like stars that had fallen to earth. The crisp wind wafted a plethora of new smells into Sleet's nose, and in the distance she could hear strange chatter and deep rumbles. It was a strange new world, but one filled with promise.

"This must the No-Fur town," Slate mused. He wrinkled his brow. "I remember hearing stories about it as a kit."

"Yes, it is." Sleet's eyes sparkled as she glanced at her brother. She beckoned to him with her tail as she set off down the hillside. "Come on, let's go!"

* * *

**Now, this story has really gotten started! Thank you for reading and please leave a review!**

**Reviews:**

**The Unnamed Guest - Thanks! Hmm, it is a hard choice because (naturally) both siblings have good and bad attributes. I admire Sleet's determination, bravery, protectiveness of her brother, and feistiness, but I disapprove of her temper and her outlook on survival. I like that Slate is a stand-up guy (cat) and I like his good nature, jollyness, and laid-back attitude but he can be passive and a push-over and he's kinda naive. I don't think I can decide.**

**Bye for now!**

**\- A Warrior At Heart**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

A _whoosh _of air blasted Sleet in the face as the glaring eyes of a massive beast flashed past with a shrill blare. Sleet sprang backward, bushing out her fur as if a lightning strike had made the hairs stand on end. Her heart jolted in her chest. "What was that?"

Slate's fur spiked along his spine as he stuck his nose around the corner of an unnatural structure made of wood, but nothing like any sort of tree they had ever seen. Strange beasts raced back and forth on the stone path that stretched before them, their eyes glowing in the darkness. The dark gray tom glanced over his shoulder. "I think those are metalbeasts. Someone once told us that they hunt No-Furs and trap them in their bellies. They don't bother with cats because we're too small, but we still have to be careful."

"That makes me feel a lot better." Sleet snorted. Her paws trembled as she watched the metalbeasts race back and forth not two fox-lengths in front of them but she set her jaw in determination. "But we still have to get to the other side if we want to follow the prey scent. We'll have to cross this—whatever it is—safely."

"A metalbeast path, I think," Slate said, his nose scrunched in concentration.

"Whatever." Sleet rolled her eyes to hide the flutters of fear in her chest like a butterfly's wings.

The pair sunk into a crouch and slunk to the edge of the path. A metalbeast roared past so near and fast it made them flinch. Sleet battled back the urge to turn tail and flee far away. "Come on!" She shouted as soon as they spotted a lull. The siblings rushed to the opposite side like a pack of mad foxes was after them. As they crossed the middle, Sleet could hear the rumble of a beast coming closer. She flung herself onto the other side, rolling over and over, just as it blasted past.

Sleet let out a hiss of pain as she picked her bruised body off of the hard ground on the other side. She had scraped her pads painfully, and her right shoulder throbbed from the impact of landing, but she was in one piece and safely on the other side of the path.

A whimper made Sleet wheel around. Slate grimaced as he lapped at his injured leg which he pressed close to his body. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, fine." Slate stood and set his paw down, though by the way he clenched his teeth Sleet knew he wasn't being entirely truthful.

Sleet studied him for a heartbeat longer before she focused her attention on the path in front of them, bordered by towering structures on either side. A light perched on the side of one structure like a giant firefly shone with harsh light and cast strange angular shadows. A foul stench hung in the air above the debris of No-Fur stuff littered around the sides of the path. Sleet wrinkled her nose but advanced further along the path with her brother close behind her. Her mouth watered as she followed the intoxicating scent of prey.

As Sleet rounded the side of a gray-green boulder-like object heaped with filth, she jumped. A rat scuttled out from the debris, its pink nose twitching. It froze, blinking up at her with beady coal-black eyes. Sleet's jaw dropped, utterly shocked but the sudden appearance of this plump prey and its apparent lack of fear for her.

The rat whisked around and vanished in a gray flash into a pile of No-Fur stuff. Sleet snapped out of her trance and bounded after it, but she halted once she saw the half dozen more rats rummaging through the debris and on top of the boulder-thing, unaware or uncaring about the intruders.

_Oh, my mouse tails! _Sleet exchanged a glance with Slate. His sparkling yellow eyes reflected her excitement. She crouched and then sprung at the rats.

Sleet and Slate quickly snagged five rats between them before the rest vanished like rat-ghosts into the heaps of nasty No-Fur stuff. _I can't believe we found so much food. _Sleet stared at the feast lying at her paws. Her mouth watered, and her empty belly growled louder than a family of cats.

"What are you waiting for?" Slate cast a glance at his sister.

Sleet shook her head. "I've never seen this much food, even during the warm season."

"Staring at this much food does us no good." Slate's face lit up in a grin that Sleet hadn't seen in a long time. "Let's eat!"

The siblings dug in, eating like famished cats who hadn't tasted prey in moons, which, of course, they were. The rat meat wasn't the same forest prey they were accustomed to, but it was still food. They ate until they were stuffed, and even then, there was still an entire rat left.

"What should we do with it?" Sleet wondered, poking the rat with her paw. She was too full to eat another scrap, but it seemed a waste not to. The bones of the other rats were strewn around their paws.

"We could bury it in the No-Fur filth, I guess." Slate wrinkled his nose. "This place is nothing like the forest, where we could bury prey bones in the earth. It smells disgusting, too."

"But it has given us more prey than we've seen in moons," Sleet reminded him, a sharp edge to her tone. "I think we should stay."

"For now, at least," Slate agreed. He stretched his jaws in a wide yawn. "All this food has made me sleepy."

Sleet nodded in agreement. They found a sheltered place in the corner of the path, against a structure, and as far away from the stench of the No-Fur stuff as possible. Sleet curled up with her brother like they had done since they were kits and fell asleep within heartbeats.

. . .

A rough paw jabbed Sleet's flank. Pain bloomed in her side, pulling her from the depths of her ocean of sleep. She blinked a few times to wipe away the haziness, and then look up into the accusing copper eyes of a scruffy face.

Sleet sucked in a tight breath of air as she scrambled back, only to trip over Slate's limbs strewn about the ground. Slate woke with an annoyed yelp as the cedar-brown tabby shoved Sleet against the wall of the structure behind them and held her fast. Slate's yelp changed to a confused but angry cry. He rushed to attack the tom pinning his sister, but a snowy-white paw knocked him down with a blow to the back of his head.

"What's going on?" Sleet struggled against the rock-hard grip of the tom nearly twice her size. She spat out a mouthful of shed fur and glared at him. "What do you want?"

"Why are you in our alley?" The tom's gleaming white fangs peeked out from behind his curled lip.

"Your alley?" Sleet spat at the same time as Slate frowned. "What's an alley?"

The tabby tom ignored them. "You kittens must not be from around here if you didn't know this was our turf. Town cats know better than to hunt here."

Sleet blinked innocently as her mind raced to find a way out. "Who said we were hunting here?"

The tom's companion, a snowy-white she-cat, tossed a few bones at them, still covered in fresh scraps. "These prey bones say you were."

_Cloud-fluff! _Sleet swore. Despair sunk like a stone in her chest. _We just found this prey-rich place. Will we ever be safe from territorial dirt-pelts? _Her eyes wandered to her attacker's ragged pelt, taking in his ribs that were barely concealed, and his companion's drooping tail and exhausted water-blue gaze. She felt a stab of sympathy. _These cats are struggling in the cold season, just like us. We must have stumbled on their food supply. And hungry bellies make for easily ruffled fur. _

"Listen," Slate began. His eyes connected fleetingly with Sleet's, and she knew he had come to the same conclusion. "We didn't mean—"

"Quiet," the she-cat snapped, cuffing Slate's ear with unsheathed claws. A scarlet drop trickled down the side of his face.

"Please," Sleet tried, "let us go. We didn't know that you hunted here. We're hungry, just like you."

The tom turned his gaze back on Sleet. He released his grip, allowing her to stand, but he brandished his claws and bared his teeth. "Sure, we'll let you go. We'll have to make sure you two stupid kits don't make this mistake again."

All sympathy Sleet had for their attackers evaporated in a heartbeat as the cedar-brown tom advanced on her and the snowy-white she-cat slunk toward her brother. Fear curled its black claws around her heart as Sleet shrank back against the structure, mixed with shame for feeling like a little kit again, running away in fright through those dark trees.

_I won't back down. _Sleet gritted her teeth into a warning growl. Her fur bristled, and her muscles tightened, itching to spring. The tom raised one paw high above his head as she flashed out a foot, scratching her attacker's nose. Both of them blinked in surprise for a moment blood welled around the scratch.

After a heartbeat that felt like an entire moon, the tom's faced hardened, and he swung his paw at Sleet's ear. The dark gray she-cat snapped out of her shock, and she rolled to the left, a move practiced from many play-fights with her brother. The tom spun on his hind legs and slammed his paws down on Sleet as she tried to rise. Sleet gasped, the wind knocked out of her. Before she could move, or even catch her breath, the large tom was on top of her, pummeling her with strike after strike.

Sleet tried to fight back, but there wasn't much she could do against the barrage of attacks. Pain like she had never felt before explode all over her body as slimy blood tangled her fur. _Please, stop. _She curled into a ball to protect her neck and stomach.

A faraway caterwaul echoed in Sleet's ears. She became aware that the tom's attacks had ceased. She opened her eyes, cautious at first, but she leaped to her paws once she realized he was gone. The caterwaul she had heard had been the battle cry of three or four new cats now locked in battle with the cedar-brown tabby tom and the snowy-white she-cat on the opposite side of the alley.

"You okay?" Sleet turned as Slate appeared by her side. He peered at her, his yellow eyes wide despite his battered body and drooping tail.

Sleet released a breath as her heartbeat slowed, and she began to feel the full extent of her injuries. At least five new scratches crisscrossed her flanks and back. Though they were shallow, they still stung like a worse than a thousand bee stings. Sleet let her body sag, giving in to her exhaustion, only to straighten upright their attackers fled, and the new cats turned on them.

Four cats padded toward Sleet and Slate. They were sleek and well-muscled; the only sign of cold-season struggles in their lean flanks. A tall black and white tom strode in the lead with a longhaired silver she-cat a step behind him. A gray tabby tom and a tortoiseshell she-cat followed closely behind them.

The black and white tom halted in front of Sleet, his golden eyes sweeping over her and Slate. "Are you two all right?" His voice was a deep rumble, gentle but powerful as thunder.

_Who are they? What will they do with us? _Waves of uncertainty coursed through Sleet. She managed a nod, while Slate mumbled, "yes."

Sleet cleared her throat. "Who were they?"

The light gray tabby tom flicked an ear. His voice was deep as well, but rougher. "Just two town rogues that got a little territorial. We're all feeling the cold season's squeeze. We didn't hurt 'em too severely, just chased 'em off 'cause they were hurting you."

Slate pinned his ears back. "Are these your hunting grounds?"

The black and white tom nodded. "We do hunt here, but—"

"We also stop anyone from claiming these hunting grounds, like those two. We make sure that anyone who needs prey can hunt here, especially during the cold season," the tortoiseshell she-cat interrupted, her chin raised and chest puffed out.

"Thank you, Ginger." The black and white tom rolled his eyes, but there was an amiable smile on his face. He looked back to the siblings. "From your scent, you two aren't from around here. What are two young cats like yourselves doing on your own in a place like this?"

Sleet recognized the veiled pain in Slate's eyes as he dropped them to his paws. She spoke up. "It's just been my brother and me for several moons now. We came here in search of food."

"Aww." Ginger, the tortoiseshell she-cat, frowned. "They're all on their own. Ace—" She glanced at the black and white tom, communicating something without words.

The longhaired silver she-cat tipped her head, her blue eyes thoughtful. Age showed in the gray on her muzzle. "I agree with Ginger. These two are young, and all alone. Perhaps we should take them in."

_Take us in? _Sleet furrowed her brow. _Like, join their group? _

The black and white tom, Ace, was quiet for several heartbeats that dragged out for forever as he mulled it over. At last, he gave a curt nod. "What are your names?"

"I'm Sleet," the dark gray she-cat said, and flicked her tail at Slate, "and this is my brother, Slate."

"Very well, Sleet and Slate. Would you like to join the street cats? We protect and provide for one another, but you should know that our life is not easy," Ace warned them. His eyes were fixed on them and his expression was severe. "You will need to be loyal and hardworking. Do you think you can do that?"

_Do we want to join them? Do _I _want to be apart of the street cats? _Sleet cast a glance at Slate. _I always thought it would just be us. But these cats seem kind and strong and noble. They could protect and take care of us, as Ace said. We wouldn't be alone anymore. We would have a place to belong!_

"Yes!" The word burst free of Sleet's lips like a bird from the treetops. "Yes, we would like to join you."

"Well then." Ace gave them a nod, and swished his long tail. "Follow me."

Sleet looked over her shoulder at Slate as she trotted after the street cats on the way to their new home. Her heart was light, but Slate's head was hunched, and his expression dark.

* * *

**Yay! It's done. Poor Sleet and Slate, they never seem to catch a break from, in Sleet's words, "territorial dirt-pelts." But they've met the street cats! I've spent a while working on these characters, and I hope you like them. This group is rather like a tiny Clan, with cats who hunt for one another and take care of each other, but they are bonded by friendship rather than blood. They do not control any hunting grounds, but instead make sure every town cat can hunt in their area if they need prey. As Sleet rises to leader, we will see how they change under her leadership.**

**QOTD: What do you think of Ace, Ginger, and the other street cats so far?**

**\- A Warrior At Heart**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

_What in the skies? How do they expect me to climb that? _A tremor of fear shivered through Sleet as she stared up at the massive wall of a No-Fur structure that towered half a tree-length above her. Slate and the street cats impatiently waited above on what they called the 'roof' of the 'building' that she needed to climb to finish the journey to the street cats' home. She had climbed partway up trees before to catch prey, but she had always felt nervous and clumsy. _I'd much rather keep all four of my paws on the ground. _

"Come on, Sleet!" Slate called, peering over the edge of the roof. "What are you waiting for?"

_I'm waiting for you to tell me that this is a joke, _Sleet grumbled internally, but she set her jaw. She got a running start and jumped. A heartbeat past as she flew through the air before she slammed into the wall with enough force to jar her bones.

Sleet scrambled for a paw-hold. Her claws sunk into the wood, and she hung there, her flanks heaving. Her body trembled as she clung to the wall, fear gripping her with freezing claws. _I can't do this. _

"It's okay, Sleet." The longhaired silver she-cat called Misty leaned over the edge. Her steady midnight-blue eyes connected with Sleet's. "You can do it. Focus on getting to me."

Sleet took a deep breath. Misty's calm words soothed her fear and gave her the confidence she needed. Her eyes never left Misty's as she retracted a paw and reached up for a paw-hold, then another. Before the dark gray she-cat knew it, she had reached the top, and she pulled herself over the edge.

"Well done." Misty gave her a small smile.

"New cats often have trouble with this part of the journey," Ginger said, touching her tail to Sleet's shoulder. "But you'll learn to like it. Soon you'll be soaring like a bird!"

Ace's unreadable gaze flickered over Sleet. He gave her a small nod. "Let's keep moving."

_Wait, what did Ginger mean by 'soaring like a bird'? _Sleet didn't have time to ask as she hurried to catch up with the others. The street cats gradually sped up until they were dashing full tilt along the center of the pitched roof. Ace, who was in the lead, didn't stop as he reached the end of the building. Instead, he pushed off in a huge leap. Sleet's heart thudded in her chest as Ace soared through the air for a heartbeat that lasted a moon. He touched down, graceful as a bird, on the next rooftop, and kept running without even breaking stride.

_They expect us to jump that? _Sleet's eyes stretched wide. She exchanged a glance with Slate who ran next to her. _It has to be nearly eight tail-lengths. _

Ginger went next, shooting like a falling star across the gap. She landed with all four feet and kept moving. Gravel was a light gray blur as he leaped across with ease. Misty slowed near the edge, her age giving her trouble as she jumped and landed awkwardly with a grunt.

_This is crazier than a mad fox._ Fear clenched Sleet's chest, but her burning determination overcame it. _If the street cats did it, so will I. I'm one of them now. _

The end of the building raced toward her. Sleet pushed herself faster, drawing ahead of Slate. She tensed her muscles as the roof fell away to a long drop, nearly a tree-length below her and gaping like a hungry predator. _Here goes nothing. _

The wind whistled in Sleet's ears as she soared through the air. All of her fear dissolved as her heart lifted. _Ginger was right. This is what it feels like to be a bird. _

The next building loomed in front of Sleet, and she crashed down in a clumsy heap. She groaned as she picked herself up off of the scratchy squares that covered the roof. Though her heart raced, she couldn't help but grin giddily. _I made it. I'm alive, and nothing's broken._

A loud thump sounded behind her, followed a shriek. Sleet's heart jolted as she saw Slate flailing for a paw-hold as he slipped closer and closer toward the edge. _No! _Panic shot should her. She lunged forward, grabbing her brother's scruff and yanking him to safety. Slate collapsed on the roof, and Sleet stood over him, breathing hard.

"Are you all right?" Sleet demanded.

"Yes, I'm fine." Slate shook his head dismissively. He angled his ears at something past Sleet's shoulder. "We should get going. They're far ahead of us."

Sleet ran at her brother's side along the roof of the building, and they jumped together the shorter distance to the next one. They leaped again and again, flying across the rooftops like deer through meadows. With each jump, thrills shivered through Sleet. A smile stretched across her face as all of her fear and worry melted away.

The sibling caught up to the street cats on the pinnacle of a precariously sloping rooftop. Ace held up his tail for them to halt.

"We're here," Ginger explained, her moss-green eyes twinkling like stream rocks in sunlight. When Sleet frowned, she added, "Watch Ace."

The black and white tom crept down the slope to the edge of the roof. He crouched and then jumped. He vanished from Sleet's view as he plunged over the side of the building.

"What?" Sleet gasped as Slate shot her a horrified look. She spun around when she heard Ginger chuckle. "How can you laugh? He could be dead!"

"I'm sorry," the tortoiseshell she-cat panted between her fits of giggles.

"Ginger." Misty cuffed the younger she-cat over an ear. She tossed her head at the bewildered siblings. "Don't do that to them. They're new."

"I'm sorry," Ginger repeated, composing herself.

Misty turned to Sleet. "Don't worry, young'uns. Ace's fine." She swished her tail. "Follow me, and I'll show you."

Misty led Sleet and Slate to the edge of the roof. Sleet let out a breath once she saw that there was a smaller building only about four tail-lengths below them. She watched as Gravel, the light gray tabby tom, jumped down, and then leaped to two shiny silver cylindrical objects stood next to it, making an easy route to the stone ground far below.

After Misty and Ginger went, Sleet crouched at the edge of the roof. _The street cats are crazy for doing this every day. _She rolled her eyes skyward, but she still jumped down.

Wildflower-dotted grass and imposing stone walls greeted Sleet as she landed on the ground. She wiggled her toes, relishing the feeling of soft grass under her pads after nothing but the rough stone of the street, but the walls towered over her, making her feel trapped.

Misty appeared beside Sleet and followed her gaze. "Those walls are pretty intimidating. Two high to leap, too solid to go through. They protect us; not letting anyone in—or out—unless you know the secret entrance." She winked at Sleet.

_So that's why the street cats such extravagant means of entering their home. _Sleet nodded as it dawned on her.

"You'll get used to it." Misty touched her tail to the dark gray she-cat's shoulder. "Come. There's more to see." She led Sleet to the smaller human building and slipped inside a narrow slot at the bottom of the wall.

"Wow," Sleet breathed as she stepped inside. She had expected the interior to be as disheveled and unnatural as the outsides of many buildings they had passed on their way, but it felt almost cozy. Two levels of wide ledges lined three of the walls. Plush No-Fur pelts of many colors covered them, making rows of cushy nests. A couple of mice, a pair of voles, and a crow were heaped in a corner, creating a small prey pile. What was even more astounding were the strange new cats that milled about. Ginger sat to the right on the second level, talking to a ginger tom. Gravel snuffled at the pile of prey. A dark brown tabby she-cat lay on her side next to a solid black tom in a humongous nest of pelts. They watched Sleet with wary gazes.

Misty beckoned Sleet forward to stand beside her brother. She followed his gaze to see Ace seated on a ledge before an opening in the wall that framed his black and white pelt with soft light.

"Street cats." Ace's modulated voice was quiet, but commanding so the other cats stopped what they were doing and gave him their attention. "My patrol rescued two cats who we will now be joining our group. They are young, but they will be loyal and hard workers. Let's welcome Sleet and Slate."

"Welcome," the ginger tabby tom murmured as next to him, Ginger grinned at Sleet.

The brown tabby she-cat blinked warmly at Sleet from where she lay enwreathed in her nest. The black tom beside her scrutinized the siblings for a heartbeat, before he stood and leaped to the floor with a gentle thump. "Are you sure it is wise to take new cats in now?" His amber eyes were hard as he turned to Ace. "It is just the beginning of the cold season, and we're already on hard times."

Ace nodded, indulging instead of angry at the questioning. "Yes, I did take that under consideration, but—"

"Blackjack," Ginger cut in, rising to her paws, "they are young cats who came to the town in search of food because they're struggling for food just like us." Her tail lashed. "We couldn't turn them away."

Ace cleared his throat pointedly. Ginger glanced at him, then she sat down and shut her mouth, the tips of her ears turning red.

"I did think about all of that, Blackjack," Ace continued. "But as Ginger said, we can't turn away anyone in need."

"I understand that." Blackjack sat, wrapping his tail around his paws. "But they're barely more than kits. What can they contribute? What skills do they bring to help us survive the cold season? We already have more mouths on the way."

Sleet's pelt bristled at being called a kit, but as she glanced at the dark brown tabby she-cat lounging in her nest, something occurred to her. _She must be pregnant, and Blackjack must be the father. He's probably just concerned about being able to feed his family. _

"I agree." Sleet looked around as a new voice spoke up. A lithe she-cat stood in the entryway, the edges of her pale brown fur gilded by sunlight. Sleet stepped away as the she-cat strode inside, her gait smooth as a snake's. "We need to know what they can offer before we let them join us. Can they even fight or hunt? I say they should prove themselves."

Sleet cocked her head, frowning. "Do you mean like a duel?"

The she-cat's yellow-green eyes, as sharp as a hawk's, turned on Sleet. "Perhaps."

"Darcy, no," Misty objected. "Ace has already made his decision. Sleet and Slate will be joining us, no matter what they can contribute now. There is plenty of time for them to learn."

"But Ace always says for us to speak our minds," Darcy pointed out, taking a step toward Misty. "That's what I'm doing." She flicked an ear at Sleet. "Besides, she suggested it."

Sleet cast a glance at Ace. The black and white tom sat on his perch, his expression serene, his eyes unreadable. _I guess I need to say something then. _She took a step forward, cutting Misty off before the old she-cat could reply. "I'll do it. I'll duel her."

Beside her, Slate sucked in a breath, and Ginger gave her a look somewhere between new-found respect and _you're crazy. _

Misty swung toward the dark gray she-cat, her eyes round. "Sleet, no." She looked to Ace. "You can't let her fight Darcy."

Ace merely shrugged. "I may be the leader, but all of us are involved in making important decisions like this. If this will convince Darcy, and Sleet chooses to duel her out of her own free will, I will not object."

_Oh mousetails. _Sleet gulped. _What have I gotten myself into?_

Ace leaped down from his perch and led them all outside to the grassy area. The fiery-orange of setting sun's rays slanted across the rooftops of the town and set the grass alit as if it were on fire. The towering stone walls cast long shadows over the street cats as they made a loose ring around the perimeter.

"Good luck." Slate nosed Sleet's near, and gave her a tense smile. "I think you've got bees in your brain for volunteering to do this. She looks like an experienced fighter. Is joining these cats really worth all this?"

"Yes. It is." Sleet's gave her brother a hard look. _Doesn't he want to join the street cats as much as I do? _

Sleet padded into the circle, facing Darcy who crouched in a battle-stance opposite her. The peculiar evening light brought out the long scar that sliced through from her shoulder to her foreleg.

Sleet swallowed, trying to quell the uneasiness in her belly at the fierce look in Darcy's narrowed yellow-green eyes. Tingles of nervousness shivered through her. Her legs were limp reeds. Her brother's doubts crept into her mind. _This was a mistake. I have to learn to think before I speak!_

The dark gray she-cat didn't have time to think as Darcy sprang at her. She froze, staring at the she-cat speeding toward her. _Snap out of it! _She dodged at the last second, but Darcy's paw caught her shoulder, knocking her off balance.

Sleet scrambled to regain her balance as Darcy landed and whirled around. She rolled out of the way just in time to avoid another attack. _I can't keep this up, _Sleet thought, her heart thudding against her chest. She ducked her head as Darcy swung a paw at her muzzle. Determination stilled inside her. _I have to strike back. _

Instinct from countless play-fights with Slate kicked in. Sleet saw an opening and lunged at her opponent. But Darcy was smaller and quicker than Slate, and much more skilled. She stepped to one side, letting Sleet fly past her. The dark gray she-cat landed with a huff, only to reel backward as Darcy advanced, striking with a barrage of swift and precise blows. One hit Sleet's shoulder and her leg buckled. She grunted as she hit the ground. Stone-hard paws pressed down on her soft underbelly, pinning her to the ground.

_I can't do this. _Despair and self-doubt sunk heavier than a boulder in Sleet's chest. She went limp beneath the street cat. _She's too skilled of a fighter. _She twisted her gaze to look up at Darcy who was wreathed in warm light as bitterness filled her. _Is joining the street cats even worth it? _

_Wait. _An idea sparked inside Sleet. _The sun. _She acted before doubts could form; jabbing her paw at Darcy's chin, which forced her to look up—right into the blinding rays of the setting sun.

Darcy yelped, and relaxed her grip, giving Sleet the opportunity she needed. She curled her hind legs and kicked, throwing, or at least pushing Darcy off of her. She sprang to her paws and attack the stunned she-cat, striking her muzzle, and cuffing her ear. Sleet ducked as Darcy swung a wild blow at her. She retreated a few paw-steps away and lunged at her opponent's tail. She caught it, but didn't see Darcy retract her right hind leg. The pale brown she-cat's foot collided with Sleet's head, making the world tilt on its side. Sleet collapsed on the grass.

Sleet's ears rang, and she had to blink several times to clear her vision. She looked up to see Darcy standing over her, her sides heaving with pants. Sleet's shoulders slumped miserably and her eyes dropped to her paws. _I got a couple good strikes in, but I still lost. I showed that Slate and I have barely any fighting skill, and not too much more hunting skills. They'll never let us join now. _

"Well fought." Sleet looked up in surprise to see approval glinting in Darcy's eyes. She leaned down and pulled Sleet to her feet. "You are young and not very skilled, but you showed me that you are quick and clever. You show great potential. If your brother is anything like you, with some training, you both will be great additions to the street cats."

"Th-thank you," Sleet stuttered, shock rippling through her. She scanned the circle of grinning street cats. Slowly, a smile spread across her face.

Ace strode forward, and nodded to her. His face formed a smile, reflecting her's. "Welcome to the street cats."

* * *

**What an exhilarating chapter! From the building-hopping to the duel, it was action-packed. I hoped I conveyed the feeling of the street cats as a hole; a fun and slightly odd group that quarrels sometimes, but they're family. So, here is the list of street cats (as of right now):**

**The Street Cats**

**Leader: Ace - black and white tom with golden eyes**

**Misty - long haired silver she-cat with midnight-blue eyes**

**Blackjack - a sleek black tom with amber eyes**

**Pepper - dark brown tabby she-cat**

**Darcy - pale brown she-cat with yellow-green eyes and a scar down her shoulder**

**Ginger - tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes**

**Gravel - light gray tabby tom**

**Adder - ginger tabby tom**

**Sleet - dark gray she-cat with ice-blue eyes**

**Slate - dark gray tom with yellow eyes**

**Thank you for reading and please leave a review!**

**\- A Warrior At Heart**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Sleet's mouth watered as she pounced, her claws piercing the delicate flesh of her prey. The mouse wriggled in her grasp before she leaned down and ended its life with a swift nip to its neck. She smiled in satisfaction as she sat back, the mouse dangling by its tail from her jaws. _Another catch for me. And more prey to take back to the Yard._

Sleet set the mouse at her paws and stood up. Her gaze followed the iridescent blue patch of sky visible between the rooftops of the buildings bordering the narrow street. The towering shapes and long shadows no longer felt alien and unnatural as the landscape of the town had long since become familiar to her, like old friends. It felt more like home than the forest did now.

A warm breeze gusted down the street, ruffling Sleet's thick pelt. She closed her eyes, reveling in the breeze's touch. Though the familiar smells of the town hung around her, she could also scent something more carried to her on the wind, a green smell, of new life and new beginnings. _The warm season is finally here. _A smile crept across her face. _More warmth, more prey, more comfortable times are coming. _After a long cold season, warmer and brighter days were finally here.

"Coming through!" A voice squeaked as a small body barreled into Sleet.

Sleet snapped open her eyes, staggering before she found her balance. "Watch where you're going!" She huffed crossly as she saw a little black tom scrambled to his paws and dashed away down the street without so much as even a backward glance. _Fluff-brained kits. _

Sleet jerked her head up as a second pair of pawsteps raced toward her. She leaped out of the way just in time as a second tom-kit, a brown tabby, dashed past her, chasing his brother. She gazed after him, shaking her head. _I can't believe Ace thought it was a good idea to take Bounce and Sparrow on their first hunting patrol today._

Pepper, the pregnant brown tabby she-cat had given birth five and a half moons before—half a moon after Sleet had joined the street cats—in the depths of the cold season. The cold season had only worsened as it went on, with darkness and bitterly cold days and mountains of snow that chased away prey even in the town. All of the street cats had mourned the loss of Pepper and Blackjack's other two kits, a frail little tom who died after taking his first breath, and Frosty, a black and white she-kit who survived to be named, but who perished from hunger before seeing the end of her first moon.

Pepper and Blackjack consoled themselves from their grief of losing half their first litter by turning all of their focus to make sure their two remaining sons survived. Everyone doted on Bounce and Sparrow, including Sleet—at first. Now Bounce's high-spirited nature like his name and the way he followed her around like a little shadow just plain _annoyed_ her.

"Hi!" A bright voice right in front of Sleet startled her like a shy deer out of her thoughts. She sighed once she saw that Bounce stood before her, his head cocked. "Sorry I crashed into you earlier. Sparrow and I were playing tag."

"That's okay." Sleet picked up her mouse and turned to go.

Bounce's dazzling yellow eyes lit up like tiny flames. "Did you catch that mouse?"

"Yes," Sleet mumbled through a mouthful of fur. She began walking. _Please don't follow me. _

Bounce bounded alongside her. "That looks delicious. You must be a good hunter. Could I watch you catch something? I want to be a great hunter one day. Would you teach me to hunt like you? I was hoping to catch something, but I haven't had a sniff of prey all day."

Sleet flicked an ear. _Maybe that's because you're too busy fooling around and scaring off all of the prey. _But she knew better than to say it aloud. "I'm going to bring this prey to Ace. You should find your brother. We're returning home soon."

"Okay," Bounce chirped. His tail whisked behind him as he dashed away.

Sleet let out a sigh of relief once Bounce had gone. She picked up her pace as she hurried along the street, heading toward the abandoned building where she'd last seen Ace hunting. Two cats padded down the alleyway toward her, an old pair of mates who she saw often hunting in the area that the street cats protected.

"Sooty, Dandelion." Sleet nodded as she passed them. "How's the prey running?"

"Quite well," Sooty, a grizzled dark brown tom called back from around his mouthful of robin.

"Thank goodness it's the warm season," Dandelion, his mate, a yellow-eyed golden-brown dappled she-cat added with a friendly swish of her tail. "Good hunting."

"Thank you." Sleet waved her tail as she rounded the corner of the abandoned building. The opening in the side was the gaping mouth of a hungry predator ready to swallow her. The cracked wooden floor muffled her pawsteps as she padded inside the dusky-gloom of the interior. She collected her earlier catches of a plump squirrel and a sparrow that she had hidden beneath a crinkled pile of dead leaves.

Sleet tracked Ace's fresh scent trail outside again and down the street until she spotted her leader on the other side of a hulking blue box where No-Furs put their trash. Her paw hit a piece of trash, making it crinkle. The jay Ace was stalking took flight with a shrill call, but the black and white tom leaped high in the air and brought it down.

"Sorry." Sleet grimaced as she trotted over.

Ace offered her a smile, his teeth stained with blood. "No problem." His ears perked up as Sleet set her prey at her paws. "Did you catch all of that?"

Sleet ducked her head as she nodded.

Ace's eyes widened ever so slightly. He gave her a short nod. "Well done. That will feed many cats."

"Thank you." Sleet made herself calmly meet his eyes though inside she was bursting with pride. Those few hard-earned words—rare from Ace—meant everything to her. "Are we going to head home soon?"

"Yes." Ace beckoned her closer with a flick of his white-tipped tail before he took a seat. "But first, there's something I want to discuss with you."

Sleet frowned, confusion bubbling inside of her, but she sat as well. "What is it?"

Ace wrapped his tail around his paws. He fixed Sleet with his usual severe but mysterious golden eyes. "I'm concerned about your brother. You and Slate have both been a part of the street cats for six moons now, but while you have taken every opportunity to contribute to the group and bond with the others, Slate has remained distant."

Sleet pushed her happiness at Ace's comments away. Instead, she nodded gravely, her ears flattened. "Yes, I'm aware."

"Furthermore, he has refused all offers for help with his injured leg that would help it heal, and allow him to contribute more. Everyone in the street cats is there to support one another, but everyone must also contribute to the group. Slate is doing neither." Ace's expression was earnest as he leaned forward slightly. "Would you talk to him?"

_Ace is right. _Sleet bit her lip as a pang of guilt stabbed her belly. Memories from the last six moons that she had brushed aside came to the surface. She saw Slate eating by himself, curled up outside overnight, and washing his injury when he thought no one was looking. She recalled him vanishing for nearly a day, and saw him walking past her with his head down as she talked animatedly with Ginger and Adder, paying no attention to him. _I was too busy with myself to bother with him. _

Sleet raised her eyes to meet Ace's. "I'll do it. I'll talk to him."

Ace and Sleet collected their prey, and found Sparrow, Bounce, and Blackjack who had also accompanied them. Blackjack carried a pair of rats, and he sniffed admiringly at Sleet's haul. Sparrow trotted back to camp with his tail up, and a rat proudly clutched in his jaws, but Bounce had nothing.

Sleet deposited her prey on the pile and paused in the entrance to the small building the street cats called the Den to survey the Yard. She spotted Slate resting on the fresh grass beneath the Yard's single tree, an ancient maple with thick, twisted branches. He looked up from the half-eaten rat at his paws as she padded up to him.

"Hi Slate." Sleet shifted from one paw to the other under her brother's silent gaze. "Can we talk?"

Slate sat up attentively, so Sleet took that as a yes. She sat down and wrapped her tail around herself to appear calm and confident, but it just ended up fidgeting around her like an absent-minded mouse. "Ace—" She coughed and tried again. "Ace wanted me to talk to you because he's concerned."

Slate tipped his head, his expression guarded. "Oh?"

Sleet searched her brother's indecipherable yellow gaze that she used to be able to see every strand of emotion in. Regret flashed through her. _When did he become a stranger? _

"I'm concerned too, Slate." Sleet went on, her tone gentle so she hoped she could reach him. "You've been cold and aloof, and you've distanced yourself from the group. You haven't let anyone help you with your leg, and it's slowing you down. You don't eat, sleep, hunt or patrol with the rest of us that much. You aren't being a part of the street cats and you aren't giving back." Sleet leaned forward toward him. Her eyes were round. "These cats took us in when everyone else chased us away and gave us a home. They're our friends and family. We need to give back to them." She shook her head. "What's happened to you?"

"What happened to you?" Slate retorted. His narrowed eyes were as chilling as cold season ice. "Is that what you really think of me? That I'm a burden?"

Sleet flinched. "That's not what I said—"

"You might've as well." Slate lashed his tail. The fur on his neck rose. "It's not me who's changed; it's you. I hardly know who you are anymore. But maybe, even after these moons, I never knew you. The cat I thought I knew would never have done any of this—" he gestured with his tail to everything around them. "The cat I thought I knew would have always put me first, and would never have criticized me for my injury."

Anger flamed inside of Sleet. Words tumbled out of her mouth like fallen leaves before she had the chance to think better. "I guess you don't know me then. And I don't know you, because I thought my brother would have loved a home with cats like these. But since you seem to hate it here, maybe you should leave."

"Maybe I will," Slate shot back, his eyes blazing.

"Then you should." Sleet spun on her heel and stomped away, but not before she caught a glimpse of his stunned face. _How did we come to this? Where is the happy loving brother I thought I knew? _Cold shock rippled through her belly at everything she and Slate had just said, but stubborn pride kept her from looking back.

* * *

**And thus, we begin the conflict between Sleet and Slate. They've been with the street cats for six moons now, and while Sleet loves their new home and family, Slate misses the forest and the way things used to be with just his sister. Thank you for reading! One note, I'm going on one last vacation before school starts, so I probably will not be able to update for about two to three weeks.**

**\- A Warrior At Heart**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

A familiar scent hit Sleet's nose as she bent over her squirrel. Her head jerked up, and she scanned the camp. She saw movement in the corner of her eye. _There he is! _Slate leaped down from the No-Fur trash cans and shuffled across the camp, his head lowered. Sleet watched him as he trotted passed Bounce and Sparrow who were playing with Pebble, a tiny speckled brown and gray she-kit they had welcomed three moons before when a patrol had come upon her young mother Brindle, injured and in labor. Brindle, her tawny-brown tabby fur sleek and healthy despite the hardships of the cold season and the loss of her other kit, fondly watched her daughter play with Bounce and Sparrow. Pepper and Misty stretched out on their sides in a pool of golden sunlight nearby, their heads bent together—probably gossiping like usual.

Slate's eyes flickered across the camp, meeting Sleet's for a heartbeat that lasted a moon. The dark gray she-cat leaned forward, gazing into her brother's eyes, but he jerked his head away, and walked faster. Sleet's ears flattened, but she rose to her paws. Regret and guilt stabbed her as painful as a claw to the heart. _I should never have said those things to Slate. How could I have been so stupidly blind to what was going on for him? He's my brother, and I should have been there for him. I should have helped him feel a part of the street cats. I should never have told him to leave. _She took a step forward but stopped herself as Slate clawed his way up the maple tree, and curled up on a thick branch with his back to her. _Even after three sunrises, I still don't know how to tell him all of this._

"Hey, Sleet." The dark gray she-cat turned, brought out of her thoughts as Ginger bounded up to her with Adder trailing a few pawsteps behind like he often did.

Sleet murmured hello, mustering a small smile.

Adder cocked his head. "Do you think we should go hunting? Blackjack and Pepper went this morning, but they didn't bring much back."

"That makes sense." Sleet frowned. "Why are you asking me? Doesn't Ace usually decide patrols?"

"Oh, right," Adder said, shifting from one paw to another.

Ginger shrugged. "We couldn't find him, so we thought we'd ask you. You're good at making decisions, and for a forest-born cat, you know all the best hunting places."

"Oh." Sleet blinked, but her lips formed a real smile. "Okay." She wrinkled her nose, thinking for a heartbeat. "Pepper and Blackjack hunted near the trash dump this morning, and we should steer clear of the dogs in the blue No-Fur house. We haven't been to the alleys on the other side of the wide metalbeast street in a while, so it would be good to go there. I'll come on the hunting patrol with you."

Ginger's whiskers twitched as she chuckled. "Even after six moons in the city, you still use some forest cat words. You know No-Furs and metalbeasts are actually called 'humans' and 'cars,' right?"

Sleet laughed. "Yes, I do. But I guess even after all this time, I still think of them as No-Furs and metalbeasts. Cars don't seem like the right term to describe those monsters to me. I don't think that will ever change."

"Did I hear you say you're going on a hunting patrol?" Ace seemed to appear out of thin air behind them, making them startle.

"Yes." Ginger swished her tail. "We weren't sure if we should go hunting or not, so we asked Sleet for advice."

Sleet ducked her head. "I hope it's okay that I told Ginger and Adder to go hunting. I agree that we need more prey. But I didn't mean to overstep my place."

Ace raised his eyebrows, but after a heartbeat, he nodded. "That's fine. I agree; we do need more prey. I'll come with you as well. Now, where do you think we should go?"

Sleet's face broke into a huge smile. "I thought it would be best to go to the alleys on the other side of the wide metalbeast street since we haven't hunted there for a long time."

"Good idea," Ace replied his tail tip twitching. He glanced over his shoulder. "Slate. We're going on a hunting patrol, and we need another cat. Come with us."

Sleet's ears perked up as Slate looked up. His ears were laid back, but he didn't argue as he leaped down from his branch and trotted over to join the patrol. Her heart rose in her chest if it was a bird soaring on an upward draft. _Maybe this is my chance to talk to him._

_. . . _

"I can't believe that little squirrel scared you. It's prey." Ginger's eyes sparkled as teased Adder. She leaned over to give the ginger tabby tom beside her a playful nudge.

"Well, it jumped down on me from that building," Adder said lamely. He focused his eyes on his paws, a small smile that Sleet wasn't sure whether it was embarrassment or pleasure on his face.

_Probably the latter, _Sleet mused. She shook her head with a snort she padded in front of the pair, behind Ace at the head of the patrol. _I swear he likes that Ginger teases him more than anyone else. _

Sleet grew serious as her thoughts drifted past Ginger and Adder's banter to her brother who plodded along in the rear of the patrol. _Now might be the only chance I have to tell him. I hope I can find the right words. _She slowed her pace, letting Ginger and Adder pass her gradually until she fell into step with Slate.

Sleet cleared her throat, but no words came. She hastily turned her attention on the scenery around her as Slate shot her an odd look. They were making their way down a narrow alleyway with filthy No-Fur, or human trash littered about in heaps. She couldn't immediately recall being here before, which made sense as the street cats hardly ever traveled this far from the Yard to hunt. But the stench, worsened by the warmth of the warm season, triggered a memory inside her.

"Oh," Sleet gasped. "This is the alley where we hunted when we first arrived in the town."

The dark gray she-cat glanced at Slate, hoping for a reaction, but all she got was a "hmm."

_It's now or never. _Sleet swallowed as if she could swallow her nervousness. She stepped in front of her brother, blocking his path and forcing him to halt. Her head felt as heavy as a boulder as she lifted it to meet his gaze. "Slate, I want to talk to you. I've been trying to get a chance for the past three sunrises, but I haven't been able to work up the courage."

Slate stared at her for a long heartbeat, flames burning in his eyes. Then he deflated with a long exhale, his shoulders slumping. His tip tail twitched as his eyes dropped to his paws. "To be honest, I've been avoiding you. But I agree, we do need to talk."

"I want to tell you—" Sleet began.

"I need you to know—" Slate started at the same time. They both cut themselves off.

Sleet pushed down her welling sorrow and flicked her tail at Slate. "You can go first."

The dark gray tom shook his head. "No, you."

"I don't know how to say this—" Sleet took a deep breath. "—but I guess directly is the best way. I owe you an—"

A screech made Sleet cut herself off. She froze, tilting her head to listen. Another scream of pain followed, along with the clatters of smashed No-Fur stuff and the snarls of fighting cats. Her eyes darted to Slate's. They exchanged a horrified glance before they took off down the alley.

Sleet spotted the fight as she rounded the edge of a gigantic trash heap, dangerously near to where the alley met a wider, busier street. She could only catch glimpses of her fellow street cats' black and white, tortoiseshell, and ginger pelts beneath the flying fur of their several attackers.

"Rogues," Slate growled. He flattened his ears against his head, but his fur bristled, and his tail swished slowly, menacingly. "Only they would take part in such an unfair fight."

Anger thrummed through Sleet in tune with her heartbeat. _How dare they attack us. These are our hunting grounds to protect for cats who need it, not weasel-hearted thieves like them. _She bared her teeth. "Then let's make it a fair fight."

Without wasting another heartbeat, Sleet dashed down the alley and plunged into battle. She dodged around Ace as he grappled a dusky brown she-cat as she made a beeline to where Adder was fending off three rogues. She sank her claws into a brown tabby tom's haunches and hauled him off of her friend. The tom whirled toward her, hissing. A shockwave rippled through Sleet as she recognized the scruffy tom who had attacked Slate and her when they'd first arrived in the town. He was thinner than she remembered, but it was him. For a heartbeat, fear quivered in her heart, but she pushed it down. _I'm not that scared little kit anymore; _she reminded herself. _I've grown into a fierce fighter. I'm going to make him pay for attacking us. _

Sleet lunged under the tom's outstretched paw and scored her claws across his chest. She tucked her head and rolled to the left as her opponent screeched. The tom lashed out, nicking her side, but Sleet leaped to her paws, undeterred. Rage surged through her like a thunderstorm. _He will pay. _Memories from countless training sessions against Gravel under Darcy's careful instruction (while Ginger had fun spectating) flooded back to her, guiding her paws. She cuffed the tom's ear with one paw and jabbed his shoulder with the other, making him collapse onto the ground.

Sleet placed her paws between the brown tabby's shoulders and further along his back, pinning him. Her claws penetrated his pelt until he whimpered with pain. "That's for trespassing in our territory," Sleet hissed in his ear. "And this is for attacking defenseless kits." She delivered several harsh bites to his neck and back, making the tom scream in pain as he thrashed beneath her paws.

Sleet back off, letting the tom up. She stepped forward as he scrambled to her paws, making him cower. "Now, leave and never come back."

Grim satisfaction settled inside the dark gray she-cat as she watched as the tom scrambled away. She turned back to the fight as a body barged into her. She grunted as she collapsed on her back. Instinct kicked in as she curled her hind legs up to her belly and shoved her attacker off. Sleet sprang to her paws, claws out and fur bristling, but she froze as she met the eyes of a reddish-brown tabby tom.

Those green eyes.

The ones that haunted her nightmares.

The ones who had torn her parents from her.

The ones who had come back to hurt her brother, so he too, was practically gone.

After all these moons, here he was again, like a shadow, a vengeful spirit she couldn't shake. He was here. In her new home.

After all these moons, Hornet was here to hurt her again.

Sleet felt frozen, utterly paralyzed by fear. Chills shivered through her body. She trembled from her paws to her whiskers. Terror rendered her unable to move, unable to see, unable to think through the haze that clouded her vision, squashed her lungs, and threatened to swallow her heart. A dam gave way and a stream of unwanted memories flooded through her mind, overwhelming her. Sleet's muzzle stung as blows rained down on her. Blood dripped down her flank, but she was unable to fight back. A weight pressed against her chest, forcing her down.

Slate appeared at her side, a beacon of light amidst her cloud of fear. With strong swipes and precise blows, he drove Hornet back, his face twisted into a ferocious mask of hate.

Sleet jolted, shaking out her pelt. She felt as if she were breaking the surface of water, or awakening from a dream. _Oh, my mousetails. Hornet's here to hurt us again. _Sleet squashed her fright before its tendrils could wrap around her heart again. She bared her teeth. _I'm not going to be afraid of him anymore. _

The dark gray she-cat snarled as she lunged at Hornet, pushing him off of Slate. Alarm pulsed through her as she saw blood pooling on her brother's leg—the same injured one—but he pulled himself to his paws. _That weasel-hearted dirt-pelt. He knows where Slate's weak point is, and he went right for it. _Fury only made Sleet fight harder. She scoured her claws down Hornet's right flank as Slate clawed the reddish-brown tom's neck. She stepped backward as he swung toward Slate and she slashed his haunches. Hornet turned on her, and leaped, his claws outstretched. Sleet scrambled back, but her sluggish limbs from all the fighting made her trip over her paws and fall. She looked up to see him soaring toward her.

Slate sunk his claws into Hornet's haunches and hauled him back. The pair rolled over and over as they scuffled, moving further and further away until they spilled like water breaking free from a dam onto the street. A stream of metalbeasts rushed past on the opposite side, and though there was a lull in the traffic, Sleet could hear the roar of a metalbeast crashing closer and closer to the fighting cats.

Sleet's heart leaped like a rabbit in her chest. "Slate, get out of there."

Slate and Hornet froze and disentangled themselves from one another. With one glance at the incoming metalbeast, Hornet turned tail and streaked across the street, fleeing like a coward after the other rogues. Sleet's breath caught in her throat as Slate struggled to his feet, his eyes half-shut with exhaustion and bleeding from his injured leg.

The roar of the metalbeast sped closer. Sleet took a step forward, but she was too far away; powerless to do anything to help her brother. "Slate, hurry." Urgency flared in her chest, but a pit of despair had settled into her stomach as Slate limped painstakingly slow toward the edge of the street. _He's not going to make it. _

A black and white blur shot passed Sleet, buffeting her fur. She gasped as she saw Ace racing toward the street. _What is he doing? _Time seemed to slow as the street cats' leader took one of his great leaps onto the street. The metalbeast was nearly upon them. _No! _Sleet's heartbeat pounded in her ears. Ace shoved Slate to safety, clear of the metalbeast's path. Ace was turning to follow the dark gray tom when—

A sickening crack filled the air.

A rush of air blasted Sleet as the metalbeast past.

A thump sounded like a dead branch falling to the forest floor.

"No!" A cry split the air. "No, no, no." As Sleet's throat burned, she realized through her haze that it was her screaming. Somehow, her paws moved, carrying her to the crumpled form lying in the gutter. The black and white fur stank of blood and was smeared with scarlet, unlike its usual tidiness. The body lay on its side, the paws splayed out, and the head twisted at an odd angle. But the calm yellow eyes were closed as if he was sleeping.

"Ace. Wake up." Sleet nosed the body. Beneath the rusty tang of blood, she could smell grass and smoke—his usual scent. "Please wake up. Don't leave us." _Don't leave me. _

It would be so easy to pretend that Ace was sleeping. He looked as though he had just shut his eyes to rest after chasing off the rogues to defend their territory and the cats that hunted there. But it was of no use. She could already smell the stench of death underneath everything.

"No." Something inside of Sleet broke, a sturdy branch snapped in half. Her shoulders slumped, her tail drooped, utterly defeated. She sank to the cold hard stone of the street, the pool of Ace's blood staining her belly fur. She shoved her muzzle into her paws, her sobs muffled.

"Sleet." Ginger's scent wreathed around her as a gentle tail was placed on her shoulder. The dark gray she-cat looked up into her friend's face, devoid of all its sparkle and teasing for once. Adder stood on Ginger's other side, sniffing at Ace's pelt.

Sleet huffed as she turned away, putting up an imaginary wall stronger than those around the Yard between her and her friends. She wanted to be left alone with her grief. _They don't understand what Ace meant to me. _

"I'm so sorry." Slate shifted from paw to paw as he lingered half a dozen pawsteps away. He couldn't meet Sleet's eyes.

"You." Sleet stood. Her tears had dried, and her churning sea of sorrow quickly morphed into a raging fire of anger ready to scorch everything in its path. "You killed him."

"Sleet—" Ginger began, appalled.

Sleet ignored her friend as she stalked forward and shoved her face into her brother's. "If you weren't so slow because of your injury, Ace wouldn't have had to rescue you. He would still be alive."

Slate stared at her, his face transfixed in an expression of complete shock. Ginger and Adder's gazes were heavy on Sleet's back. But she didn't care. All of her frustration and anger and resentment accumulated over moons coursed through her blood pounded in her ears and turned the edges of her vision red. She curled her lip, the one emotion she'd never thought she would feel for her brother burning like a wildfire in her heart.

Hate.

Sleet curled her lip, and spat, "get out."

Slate blinked. "What?"

"You heard me." Sleet unsheathed her paws. Her eyes gleamed lethally. "Get. Out."

Sleet blinked once more. Slowly, he bowed his head. "Very well. Goodbye, sister." His tail dragged behind him as he limped painfully slow away. A long silence ensued as Sleet watched him until he vanished around the corner of a distant building. Her emotions calmed, and though she didn't regret her words, she could feel a piece of her heart break and leave with him.

Ginger cleared her throat. "Uh, Sleet. What will we do now?"

Adder tipped his head. "Who will lead us?"

Sleet sealed her heart in a case of frigid ice. _I will never be hurt again like that. _She lifted her chin, her words short and sharp as the tip of a claw. "I will."

* * *

**Hi everyone! Sorry it's been a while. But here is an extra-long chapter! Wow. It is arguably the most dramatic and intense chapter in this story, and pivotal in the storyline and Sleet's arc. So, there are now some rogues on the street cats' terf, including Hornet (if you don't remember who he is, see chapter 2). Ace, who Sleet greatly respected, admired, and desired the praise of, sacrificed himself to save Slate, and Sleet blames her brother, before she claims leadership of the street cats.**

**I'm now back in school (ughhh) so I don't know what my updating schedule will be (yet). See you all soon!**

**\- A Warrior At Heart**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

A crisp gust of wind stirred Sleet's pelt. She lifted her nose, tasting the air, as she gazed out across the vast landscape of the irregular rooftops of the town, some reflecting the setting sun's fiery rays. _The cold season is coming again. _The thought came with no apprehension or complaint, just grim acceptance. _We'll have to prepare. _She shivered a little as the breeze cut through her fur like a claw through flesh. Her dark gray pelt would be thick and full by the time the first snow came.

"Sleet?" Bounce's voice cut through the dark gray she-cat's thoughts. He shifted from paw to paw as his ears twitched. "Shouldn't we get going?"

Sleet's ears perked up. "Yes, of course." She swished her tail to gather her patrol, consisting of Bounce, Pebble, and Gravel for one more sweep of their turf before the day ended. Bounce was a just a step behind her as they flew across the rooftops and then clawed their way down the side of the wood building.

The streets were quiet as Sleet trotted along, her patrol close behind her, and equally as silent. Few metalbeasts roared past on the streets, and the alleys were deserted, leaving the dark gray she-cat alone with her thoughts. _I wonder if we'll see anyone, _Sleet thought. An image of herself strolling through these same streets, only they teemed with friendly town cats, popped into her mind. She shook her head. _No, cloud-brain. They know better than to hunt here now. The borders are closed. _

Sleet's head snapped up, and she froze in her tracks. Her ears swiveled toward the sound of a crinkle. _Could it be? _Her heart lifted ever so slightly, but all she saw was a clump of dried leaves scuttling across the stone of the alley, gently buffeted by the breeze. She sighed and forced her paws to keep moving. _Of course, it's not him. It's been six moons. Why would he come back now?_ She pushed her regret away, closing the fissure in her ice-encased heart.

"The look on Ginger's face when she sat down in her nest this morning was epic," Bounce commented softly to Pebble, breaking the silence. He giggled. "Your idea to use fire ants was perfect."

Pebble let out a _mrrow _of laughter. "I can see it right now." She swished her tail. "That shows her for dropping pine cones on us yesterday when we were sleeping under the maple."

"You know, Sparrow always tells us not to pull pranks, but he got also bonked on the head yesterday. I don't understand why he can't see it's justified."

Pebble nodded. "At least he didn't tell when he overheard us planning."

Bounce sent his partner-in-crime a sly glance. "Only because you told him not to. He likes you," he said in a singsong voice.

Pebble turned to Bounce, her mouth slightly ajar. "He does not."

"Does too."

"Does not."

"Does too."

Sleet rolled her eyes at the young cats' banter, but she didn't stop them. The streets they walked through were vacant, so they weren't doing any harm. A touch of sorrow wormed its way into her traitorous heart. _Slate and I were once like that._

"Anyway," Pebble sniffed, obviously ready for a subject change, "I wonder how she knew that it was us right away."

"Yeah," Bounce agreed, looking thoughtful. "Sparrow swears on his tail that he didn't tell."

"Well—" Gravel cleared his throat from the back of the patrol "—maybe Ginger knew who it was because you little pranksters discuss your plots in the _middle _of the Yard for _anyone_ to hear. And how could you two young'uns be so fluff-brained as to engage in a prank war against Ginger of all cats?"

Pebble shrugged her shoulders. "Both of those are true."

A sound like the padding of pawsteps reached Sleet's ears, but it was hard to hear anything over the rush of metalbeasts in the street bordering the stone yard in which they stood. She tilted her head to listen, and raised her tail, signaling for her cats to halt.

"Sleet, what is—" Bounce started.

"Hush," Sleet commanded, cutting the young tom off. She took a few steps forward and peered around the side of the building. She raised her muzzle to taste the air, her neck fur lifting. But she scented nothing—no strange cats lurked about=it. Sleet's fur flattened. "False alarm."

As she turned back around, Sleet caught sight of a tail whisking across the street. In the pale twilight, the fur appeared gray. _Could it be him? _

"Come on." Sleet took off, motioning with her tail for her patrol to follow her. Bounce and Sparrow exchanged a glance, but they raced after her with Gravel hard on their paws. Sleet darted between a gap in the stream of metalbeasts and pulled up short on the other side. The cat had vanished, but raising her nose, she could detect the fresh scent over the foul fumes of the metalbeasts.

Gravel halted beside her, his face tense in concentration as he bent his head toward Sleet. "This alley is a dead end. We've trapped the intruder."

Sleet nodded. She straightened her tail, signaling for the street cats to proceed with caution. Shoulder-to-shoulder, she and Gravel advanced into the narrow street, Pebble and Bounce close behind them.

In the twilight, and without the sun-posts that illuminated the main streets of the town after sundown, the alley lay thick in shadows. The pale gloom swallowed them like a predator of darkness as they strode into the belly of the beast. At first, all Sleet could see were strange shapes and shadows, but the wooden walls and the metal fence bordering the alley soon materialized before her eyes, along with the intruder who paced back and forth in front of the wall, as if he was trying to escape. The cat whirled around, its fur bristling as the street cats approached.

_Fluff-brain. _Sleet snorted at her stupidity though her heart sank. _Of course, it's not Slate. _Instead of a dark gray tom, the cat was a lithe white tom with black dapples swirling like rain droplets down his head and along his back. But his curious green eyes achingly reminded her of familiar yellow-gold ones.

Sleet lifted her chin as Bounce and Gravel flanked her. She arranged her face into an impassive expression. Her blue eyes frostily scrutinized the intruder. "You are trespassing on turf that belongs to us. Explain yourself, intruder."

The tom's brow furrowed as he frowned. "What?"

Sleet blinked. For a heartbeat, her composure slipped.

Bounce stalked forward until he stood nose-to-nose with the tom or nose-to-chest. The small black tom had to crane his neck to glare fiercely into the intruder's eyes. "These streets belong to us. You're within our borders without invitation, which makes you a trespasser."

"You'd better start talking real fast, or get ready to fight," Pebble hissed. The young she-cat's claws slid out, and she tried to take a step forward, but Sleet stuck her tail out to stop her.

The black and white tom stepped around Bounce. Sleet could feel Pebble and Gravel tense as he padded toward them, but she remained calm, her chin lifted. The tom halted two tail-lengths away and dipped his head to the street cat leader. "My apologies. I didn't realize that I was on your territory." His ears twitched. "The last time I passed through—many moons ago now—this territory was protected by the street cats so anyone in need could hunt. I guess that changed."

Sleet frowned to disguise her surprise. She lowered her head. "Where have you been all these moons?" She asked softly instead.

"I'm a loner, and a wanderer at heart, ever since I was born. I found someplace I thought could be my home for a while." The tom shrugged, his eyes downcast. "But it didn't work out. So I left."

"Ah." Sleet nodded slowly. She could tell that the tom's vagueness was on purpose, and there was much more to his story. There was a heaviness in his step as though a boulder weighed him down, and there was sorrow hidden beneath those green eyes; both of which she didn't want to admit that she saw reflected in herself.

"Anyway—" the loner's tone was light "—I'll leave now, as per your request." His pawsteps echoed in Sleet's ears as he slid past her and trotted away.

"I'll make sure he leaves our territory so that you can finish the patrol," Gravel offered and turned to follow him.

"Wait." The command surprised even Sleet. _I don't know what I'm doing, but it feels wrong to let him walk away. _She strode past Gravel, who stared at her, startled, up to the black and white tom who had paused in the mouth of the alley. "You look like a weary traveler. Would you like to stay with us for the night?"

The tom hesitated for a moment, but then he nodded. "Just for a night?"

"Just for a night." Sleet flicked her tail to gather her cats as the former intruder, but now their guest fell in alongside her. Gravel, Bounce, and Pebble all looked bewildered, and Bounce and Pebble wore identical fierce expressions as they glared at their guest. Their hostile looks made the tom walk quickly to stay ahead of them; his eyes focused forwards.

Sleet glanced over her shoulder and then back at the tom with a snort of laughter. "Don't worry about Bounce and Pebble. They're young and eager to prove themselves fierce defenders of our territory, which means they can be overly suspicious." _Like me. _

The black and white tom shot her a half-grin. "So, I agree to stay the night, and I don't even know your name."

Sleet raised her brows. "You first."

The tom chuckled, smiling fully this time. "I'm Creek."

She gave him a small smile. "Sleet."

. . .

Suspicious eyes followed them as Sleet's patrol returned to camp. Or really, followed Creek as Sleet beckoned him across the Yard and into the Den. Ginger, Adder, and Sparrow paused their sparring match and gazed curiously after them. Darcy made eye contact with Sleet and raised her brows questioningly, her half-eaten vole dangling from her mouth. Pepper and Blackjack looked up from where they lounged beneath the tree. They stood and padded toward the den, the other cats close behind them, drawn like bees to a flower.

"Sleet." Misty padded up to the dark gray she-cat, her head cocked, and her fur mussed from sleep. "Who's this?"

Sleet offered the older she-cat a brief smile. "I'm just about to explain." She trotted across the Den, bounded up the two levels of shelves lining the walls, and sat down on the second one. Sleet paused for a long moment, gazing at the windowsill where Ace had always sat to address the street cats. She could never bring herself to do the same. Sorrow twisted in her heart. _I'm trying my best, Ace, but I don't know if I can be as good of a leader as you were, or as these cats deserve. _

Sleet shook herself, and she turned to face the assembled cats before her. Darcy loomed over Creek who lingered near the entrance. Misty had settled near Gravel near the front, and she motioned for the dark gray she-cat to begin.

"I'm sure you have that my patrol has brought someone back. I'm also sure that you all have questions. Our guest's name is Creek, and he is a traveler we found on our territory, who's going to stay with us for the night."

Blackjack frowned. "Are you sure that's wise? We don't know anything about him."

"I agree," Darcy growled, shooting a look at Creek. "We don't know if he's dangerous. And a stranger we know nothing about will be sleeping in the same den as the kits."

Bounce bristled indignantly. "We're not kits!"

"Yeah," Pebble agreed. "We can handle ourselves."

Misty looked to Sleet. She flicked her ear in Blackjack and Darcy's general direction. "They do have a point. It's also true that you decided to close our borders—not letting anyone in—after Ace died to protect us. It's been a long time since we let anyone join us."

Sleet's pelt spiked at the mention of Ace. _That's right. I did close the borders because I'm responsible for protecting us from dangerous rogues like ones who attacked us...and resulted in Ace's death. But Creek's not like them. And it's just for one night!_ Frustration fought like an angry cat inside her.

Sleet shut her eyes and took a deep breath. "I trust Creek. We are giving him shelter for one night. This is my final decision." She leaped down from her perch, signaling that the topic was finished.

. . .

"Hey." Sleet halted and dropped a pair of mice at her paws.

"Hey." Creek looked up, licking his chops. A half-eaten robin laid on the ground next to him where he crouched in a corner of the yard.

Sleet shifted her weight from paw to paw, her tail flicking absentmindedly. "I brought you some food, but I guess you're already eating."

"Yeah." Creek glanced down at his prey, the tips of his ears reddening. "Misty was kind enough to get it for me, but the rest of your cats don't seem as friendly."

Sleet glanced over her shoulder to where the other street cats clustered in small groups to eat their evening meal like they usually did, but well-away from the Creek and her. She shrugged. "You can't blame them for being suspicious."

Creek nodded as Sleet plopped down and dug into her mice. After a few mouthfuls, she said, "So, since I vouched for you with my cats, I figure you owe me your complete story." Her eyes shimmered but her tone was serious. "So that you can prove you are not a threat to us."

"Very well." Creek swallowed a mouthful and cleared his throat. "As I told you before, I'm a wanderer. Always have been, probably always will be. It seems that is what life has decided for me; to always be alone and on the move. My mother was named Snowflake. She was killed when I was barely more than a kit because I wandered too close to a fox's den."

Empathy stirred inside Sleet like warm season buds pushing their way to the surface. _He lost his mother like I did. _But she kept her face impassive. "I'm sorry."

Creek flicked an ear in her direction, unable to meet the dark gray she-cat's eyes. "After that I was on my own for a while. I wandered far and wide, exploring many strange places like a huge town crowded with No-Furs called a city, and an endless lake where the sun seems to drown itself every night. I passed through this town not long after my mother died, at the beginning of the cold season. A cat from a group called the street cats gave me a few hunting tips and allowed me to hunt in these streets. I think his name was Ace. Do you know what happened to him and the street cats?"

"Ace is dead," Sleet snapped, the fur on her neck rising. "And—" she looked down at her paws "—we are the street cats."

"Oh? What happened?"

Sleet wasn't sure if he was asking what had happened to Ace or what had happened to the street cats, but she decided to ignore the former. "I became leader six moons ago. There are too many threats and dangers in the town for us to continue keeping our borders open. I decided that we needed to think of ourselves and our kits' safety first, so we closed the borders."

"Oh." Creek nodded.

Sleet twitched an ear. "Please, continue your story," she prompted, ready for a change of subject.

Creek's gaze fell to his paws, and his voice softened so Sleet had to lean forward to hear him. "About six moons ago, I found my way into a hidden valley where I met a young she-cat who was a part of one of the four large groups of cats who lived there. At first, she tried to drive me off her territory, but then we started talking, and we realized that we had a lot in common." Creek's eyes glazed over and his lips tugged upward into a small smile. "Despite living in a large group of cats, she felt as alone as I did. She was gentle and kind, and curious about the world outside the valley. I liked her a lot. We met again, and again over the course of a few moons, and we became best friends, and then we fell in love."

Creek shook himself, coming back to the present. He twitched his whiskers as he gave his head a shake as if shaking off water droplets like worries. "I should have known it wasn't meant to be. Her Clan discovered that I had been living just outside their territory. She revealed our relationship to protect me. Her leader gave me the choice to either leave or join their Clan, but I would have to prove myself during a moon's time trial period. I worked hard to prove myself for my mate's sake, but her Clanmates consistently made it clear that I didn't belong and that they would never accept me. The treated us both like outcasts."

Creek's tone was the harsh cold season wind, his eyes hard pebbles. But Sleet could tell that it was only a mask to protect his deeper, vulnerable emotions. After all, it took one to know one.

The black and white tom heaved a great sigh. "After a moon, I decided that I could not stay. It hurt my heart to stay sedentary, and my paws tugged me to keep wandering, but I knew she would never leave her family and her Clan. I also knew that her Clan would never accept me. I was only coming between her and them. It was for the best—for both of us. So I left. That was half a moon ago."

Sleet's heart reached out to Creek. She wanted to hold him and to tell him that she understood what he felt like, she understood losing parents, she understood feeling alone, she understood being separated from the one you loved. But caution made her bite back her words. "I'm very sorry."

Creek tried to disguise a sniffle. "Thank you." He angled his body away so she couldn't see his face. After several long heartbeats, he swiped his paw across his face and turned back to her. "So, that's my story. Since we're sharing, would you do me the honor of telling me yours?"

Sleet fought an amused smile. "No, I don't think so."

"I understand," Creek nodded. His eyes drifted beyond her. "Hey, I think that tortoiseshell she-cat has been glaring at us this entire time."

Sleet followed his eyes. She met Ginger's, who hastily looked away. She snorted. "That's Ginger. I'm surprised. She's usually very welcoming. Ginger is a good friend of mine." _Well, she used to be. _A claw of regret stabbed Sleet's heart. "If you think Pebble and Bounce are crazy, you should have seen some of the antics we used to get up too." She looked back at Creek, pushing her regret away.

Creek smirked. "Oh, really?"

Sleet's eyes twinkled, and she returned tom's smile. "Really. She once dared me to leap across this really big gap between buildings. She didn't think I'd do it, but I did, and then she did too. We nearly scared poor Adder to death. Another time, Darcy—she's that brown she-cat over there—challenged Ginger and I both to a duel during training because she thought we were getting too cocky. She beat us both easily—but that was when I had just started my training, of course."

Creek chuckled. "Of course."

"So, to get back at Darcy," Sleet continued, "we stole all of the feathers from her nest before she went to sleep one night. Then, when she came outside to look for them, we dumped them on her from the top of the Den. She looked like a ruffled bird with feathers sticking out from her pelt every which way. It took her forever to get them out."

Creek burst out laughing, and Sleet couldn't help but join in. Her laughter made it seem as though all her worries could melt away like snow in sunshine. Between her giggles, she added, "Though we've both matured a bit, Pebble and Bounce have taken over for us as the pranksters. But they still have yet to learn not to mess with Ginger. Yesterday, Ginger dropped pine cones on them, and apparently today they put fire ants in her nest. I think they've started a prank war."

As Sleet and Creek's fits of laughter calmed, Creek wrapped his tail around his paws. "It feels good to laugh. I think it's been moons since the last time I was this happy."

"It's been a long time for me as well," Sleet admitted.

Creek gave her his lopsided smile, his head comically cocked to one side. "You're a good cat, Sleet, and a good leader for the street cats. But you lead alone. I like spending time with you, and I like it here. If I were to stay somewhere, it would be somewhere like this. I want to thank you for inviting me to spend the night."

Sleet rose to her paws and picked up her half-finished meal. "Of course." She turned to go, happiness from her conversation with Creek making her paw steps feel light, but something Creek had said nagged her. _You lead alone._

"Would you consider sharing your story with me at some point?" Creek's question made Sleet stop in her tracks.

The dark gray she-cat turned her head towards him. "Yes—" she smiled, sly as a fox "—if you consider to stay." With that, she trotted off, feeling as if for the first time in a while, a piece of her broken heart had been filled.

* * *

**Hi everyone! I'm back with another long chapter. So this one is kind of exciting because Sleet has met Creek. Does anyone get the feeling that he'll be staying longer than one night? We also have gotten to see how Ace's death has affected Sleet and how she is doing as leader. One of the things that makes me nervous as a writer is knowing if I'm doing a good job conveying everything I need to to my readers, and it not being too obvious. In this case, it is Sleet's emotional state and everything she's gone through. Let me know what you think of her in the reviews!**

**Also, I'm back in school now, and I think I will be updating about every two weeks, so see you all soon!**

**\- A Warrior At Heart**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"Good morning." A bright voice blared through Sleet's half-asleep haze. With a groan, she buried her head in her paws, holding tight to sleep like a frightened kit clinging to its mother.

"It's too early for this," Sleet grumbled. Pale dawn light flashed across her eyelids as they fluttered. Her aching body from the patrol late the night before tugged her back to sleep, but her disobedient mind had already cleared away the cobwebs of drowsiness.

A paw jabbed her flank. "Come on, wake up." Sleet rolled over with another grumbled protest, putting as much distance between the paw and herself as she could. "I brought you some prey."

The intoxicating smell of a squirrel wafted into Sleet's nose. "Fiiine. I'm awake." Her head felt as heavy as a boulder as she heaved herself upright. She opened her eyes, blinking several times as they adjusted to the golden light peeping over the rim of the wall.

Creek grinned his crooked smile. "I figured that would get you up. Ginger told me that squirrel was your favorite." He pushed the prey toward her with his paw.

Sleet rolled her eyes though her whiskers twitched good-humoredly. "I guess you've found my weakness." She leaned down and took a bite, her mouth watering at the taste of the fresh prey that always reminded her of the forest.

Creek's smile dissolved into a frown. "Did you sleep out here last night?"

Sleet frowned as well as she glanced down at the flattened grass under her paws. The grass was dry beneath her feet, but patches around her shimmered with frost. The shadow of the tree sheltered them from the sunlight, so warm rays hadn't evaporated them away. "Yes, I did."

"That's not good. It was freezing out last night. The cold season's coming; you should be careful." Worry creased Creek's brow.

"I'm fine." Sleet shrugged. She'd forgotten that as a new addition to their group, Creek didn't know her sleeping tendencies. The other street cats had learned not to question her whims which occasionally had her sleeping outside, under the tree where Slate had once slept.

A small smile tugged on the dark gray she-cat's lips. "But thank you for your concern." _I'm glad he decided to stay, if only for a while. It's good to have someone new around—especially someone like Creek. _

Somehow, the single night that Creek was supposed to stay turned into two nights, then three. Sleet had enjoyed every moment with him, and she grew fonder of him as the days went on. The other street cats grew accustomed to Creek's presence and became more welcoming. On the third day, Creek asked Sleet if he might stay with the street cats at least for the duration of the cold season.

Sleet hadn't even needed a heartbeat to think about it.

"So." Creek cocked his head as he flicked his tail at Sleet. "What are we going to do today?"

Sleet arched her back in a luxurious stretch, her jaws gaping in a wide yawn. She sat up and thought for a moment. "I'm about to go organize the patrols. As you know, we went hunting for rats late last night, so we don't need any hunting patrols this morning. Bounce, Sparrow, and Pebble will be training with Darcy and Gravel today, though I think all of us are due for some practice. But we'll see what the day brings."

Creek frowned and sent a swift glance over his shoulder. "I think Bounce has already started sorting the patrols."

Sleet raised her brows. "He has?" With a swish of her tail, she stalked toward a clump of street cats outside the Den.

"Hey, Creek!" Pebble greeted the black and white dappled tom brightly, and Adder smiled at him as the pair approached. The street cats respectfully stepped aside to let Sleet pass with Creek close behind her.

"So, Pepper, why don't you take—" Bounce broke off as he swung toward his leader. "Oh, hi, Sleet."

"Bounce." The dark gray she-cat greeted him, an edge to her tone. The cats around them hushed as she fixed him with an icy glare. "What do you think you're doing?"

The small black tom ducked his head, words tumbling out of his mouth like a bubbling stream. "Well, since I know you were out late last night leading the hunting patrol, I figured you must be tired and would want to sleep, so I thought I would organize the patrols for you."

"Thank you for your consideration," Sleet said, brisk as the cold season breeze, "but I am the leader, and that is my job, correct?"

"Correct." Bounce stared at his paws.

"Well, then." Sleet turned to the gathered street cats. She flicked her tail at Pepper who took a step forward, her ears pricked attentively. "Pepper, at dusk, why don't you go hunting near the No-Fur park? We haven't hunted in that patch of trees in a while, and I'm sure there will be squirrels. Take Blackjack, Ginger, and—" Sleet scanned the crowd until her eyes landed on Creek who flashed her a smile. "—Creek. Gravel will lead the dusk patrol with Adder and Sparrow. I've also asked Darcy to hold a training session this morning. I expect everyone not on patrol to participate as we all need to brush up on our fighting skills. You'll have plenty of time to rest before the patrols later. I'll lead the dawn patrol with Misty, Brindle—"

"Can I come as well?" Sleet turned her head toward the hesitant voice. Bounce shifted from one paw to the other; his ears pushed forward hopefully.

Sleet bit back a retort, regret for how she'd admonished the spirited young tom stabbing her heart. She nodded in agreement. "Very well. But know that you will be coming back and going right to training, okay?"

"Yes." Bounce's eyes glimmered, any hurt he'd felt melted away.

As the cats dispersed, Sleet's paws carried her over to Creek. The black and white tom extended his neck to touch noses with her. "Be safe on your patrol."

"I will," Sleet promised with a carefree flick of her tail. "The borders have been quiet for moons now." She cocked her head, her eyes shining. "Would you want to go hunting with me when I get back?"

Creek frowned. "You mean on the patrol?"

"Oh, right." The tips of Sleet's ears burned. She averted her eyes as she rushed to leave. "I forgot I assigned you to the patrol. Of course. I understand."

"Hey." Creek touched his tail to her shoulder, halting her. His solemn eyes gazed into her's. "Yes, I would."

"Great." A smile lit up Sleet's face. She trotted away, waving her tail at Creek. "See you later."

Misty, Brindle, and Bounce waited for her near the wall of the Den. Sleet gathered them with a flick of her tail and led the way up the trail and across the rooftops.

The town was waking up as Sleet, and her patrol started on their way. The section of town where the street cats made their home was desolate, with many dark houses and abandoned buildings casting long shadows in the morning light. The towering sun-posts were winking out, so the shadows provided good cover from the occasional No-Fur strolling down the sidewalks, more than one walking a dog. A metalbeast rumbled past just before the patrol darted across a street and ducked down a narrow alley.

Sleet halted, her brow furrowing as she saw that Bounce halt, his berry-red nose twitching. The small tom dropped into a crouch, gliding along as he stalked toward a pile of rubbish. As she tasted the air, she realized that Bounce had found a rat.

A light snapped on inside the building bordering the alley, sending a blaze of light out the window. A squeak came from the rubbish heap and the scrape of tiny nails. Bounce didn't miss a beat as he dove swift as a hawk into the heap. A heartbeat later, he retracted his head, the limp body of his prey dangling from his mouth.

"Great catch, Bounce," Brindle purred. She gave his prey a sniff and patted his shoulder with her tail as she passed.

"Thank you." Bounce grinned briefly at Brindle before he turned to Sleet. His sparkling yellow eyes lit up his entire face, so it radiated triumph and hope.

Sleet gave him an approving nod. "Well done."

Bounce padded in the lead as the street cats moved on, his rat proudly swinging by its tail from his jaws. Brindle trotted close behind him, her alert eyes scanning the town around them. Sleet dropped back the rear of the patrol, and Misty fell into step with her.

"Bounce had become an excellent hunter," Misty commented. Her expression was thoughtful as she gazed at the young tom ahead of them. "Sparrow, Pebble, and he have all turned into fine young cats, but I think Bounce has the potential to become a good leader one day."

"Mmhm," Sleet agreed, her thoughts preoccupied with other matters—hunting with Creek later.

"You know, he looks up to you." Misty glanced sideways at Sleet.

Sleet's ears pinned back, and she averted her gaze. "I know."

"Bounce may be high-spirited and headstrong, but he's brave and determined. He wants approval and mentorship like I know someone, in particular, used to from our old leader." Misty's voice was gentle but firm.

_Ace. _Sorrow twisted like a writhing snake in Sleet's heart.

"You shouldn't be so hard on him," Misty meowed with a little shake of her head. "You're a good leader Sleet, and your cats respect you and will always stand with you. Don't you ever doubt that. But a good leader also needs to be understanding and forgiving."

"I understand," Sleet nodded. She sent Misty a small smile. "Thank you."

Misty bent her head close to Sleet's, a smile tugging at her lips. "So, you know how Brindle and Pepper sometimes like to gossip. Now, I don't usually engage in such a thing—"

"Of course," Sleet purred with a roll of her eyes.

"—but they did happen to mention something interesting this morning." Misty's eyes sparkled like stars in midnight-blue heavens. "You and Creek seem to be spending a lot of time together and becoming very friendly."

Sleet blinked several times. "What? No, you're— I mean, it's not—" She huffed a frustrated sigh.

"You're never this flustered." Misty's broad smile was triumphant. "It must be true then."

"No, it's not," Sleet retorted, her tail lashing. "We're just friends."

Misty gave her a stern look. "Sleet, there is no use denying it," she said in her best motherly tone. "Even Darcy has said something, and she's not attuned at all to these types of things."

Sleet stopped in her tracks. The fur on her neck rose as panic swirled inside her. "Is it that obvious?"

Misty stopped as well and turned to meet her gaze. "Yes."

_Oh no, _Sleet moaned internally. Her heart felt like a stone sinking to the bottom of a riverbed. _How can I mask all of my other emotions and keep them in check, but this? What must the other cats think of me? What must Creek think about me?_ "Oh, no. If it's that obvious, Creek must know as well. What must he think of me? He must think I'm a fluff-brained weasel-heart, especially since he—" She stopped herself, not wanting to finish her sentence which would betray the most private part of Creek's story he had chosen to reveal to her and her alone.

"Sleet." Misty placed her tail on the dark gray she-cat's shoulder. "Breathe. It's okay. Didn't Creek agree to stay? Doesn't he want to go hunting with you later?"

Sleet took a deep breath, her thudding heartbeat and frantic thoughts calming. Slowly, she nodded yes to both.

Misty gave a slight shake of her head. "Then there's no reason to fret."

_She's right, _Sleet told herself, _there's no reason to worry. _As she turned to catch up with Brindle and Bounce, a sound made her head snap around, her pelt standing on end.

A caterwaul ripped through the air like claws through fragile blades of grass. A screech followed, almost in reply, which Sleet knew with a bone-chilling dread could only belong to Bounce. The cancophony of battle rang in her ears as she took off, quick as a hare. Misty's pawsteps crashed behind her as her paws clattered down the cold stone and she swung around the corner.

Smells slammed into Sleet's nose like a wave before she even laid eyes on the skirmishing cats. Bounce and Brindle's familiar scents melded with the tang of blood, all overpowered by a collective scent that hadn't crossed her tongue in moons. Sleet's lips curled back as a thunderstorm of a growl built in her throat. _The rogues are back. _She hadn't detected any trace of them in moons, but if they were here, it meant trouble.

The last time they had come, Ace had died.

Sleet roared a battle cry as she threw herself into the fray. Fury pounded with her blood through her veins. She whipped like a tornado through the fighting cats, scoring her claws down one cat's flank before she hauled another rogue off of Bounce. _How dare they attack us!_

Bounce tossed his head to fling some blood drops from a scratch on his nose out of his eyes. His breath was short and rapid, and his eyes were wide as he met Sleet's gaze for a heartbeat. But he didn't hesitate as he wheeled around and lunged at another rogue.

A squeal pierced the clamor. Sleet whirled toward its source, her eyes frantically searching the turmoil. Brindle flailed several tail-lengths helplessly away as a large black tom brought his unsheathed claws down on her again and again. Several scratches welling with blood already covered her sides like a mockery of her tabby stripes. Brindle shrieked again as she covered her head with her paws, unable to fight back. Sleet's breath seized in her chest until she saw Misty cut her way through the battle toward them.

The dark gray she-cat let out a breath of relief as she turned back to her own fight, as a paw cuffed her head. Pain bloomed in her shoulder as she smacked against the ground. The street cat leader picked herself up with a groan, only to freeze as she met the green eyes of her attacker. The green eyes that had haunted her dreams ever since she was a kit—only this was a waking nightmare.

Hornet was back.

Waves of terror pounded through her, coursing with her blood through her veins, spreading through every part of her. Frost crept up her paws, to her legs, then her flanks, until she was encased in an icy prison of fear. A torrent of memories raged inside her mind, some old and faded, others fresh. She was drowning. Her roaring heartbeat in her ears drowned out the surrounding sounds of battle. She was numb to the pain exploding all across her body as attacks rained down like hail. She couldn't fight back. She couldn't even breath.

All she could see were those green eyes.

_No, _Sleet gritted her teeth. She tossed her head to prove to herself that she could, in fact, move. She was only bound by the shackles of her own design. _I will not let my emotions consume me. Slate isn't here to help me this time. No one can help me. So I have to help myself. _Hornet was like a shadow, a vengeful spirit, a monster that would keep coming back to take away everyone and everything she loved, little by little. _My parents. My kithood. My innocence. Slate. Ace. My happiness. He will not take anything more from me!_

Sleet curled her lips and bared her teeth. Her eyes burned fiercer than a raging fire. She let out a roar of pure rage as she sprang at the reddish-brown tom.

Hornet leaped to the side, a mask of calm settling over his features as he easily evaded her. He tipped his head. "You know, after that last skirmish, one thing kept nagging at me. Why did that cat freeze when she saw me?"

Sleet halted, becoming as still as living stone. Her heart swelled in her chest. She forgot how to breathe.

Hornet stepped closer to her, his expression twisting into a malicious smirk. He leaned to whisper in her ear as if sharing a secret between friends. "But after some thought, it dawned on me. I remember who you are. I remember who your parents were."

Sleet's eyes slowly widened. She could hear nothing except the thudding of her heartbeat in her ears as the world dimmed around her. She was torn between a primal desire to flee far away, and an urge to feel his neck snap between her jaws, but all she could do was stand, utterly petrified but transfixed. _No...no, no, no. _Somehow, she found the ability to make her paws stumble backward. The words tumbled from her mouth. "Street cats, retreat!"

* * *

**Hi, thank you for reading yet another long chapter! It will now be every two weeks before I update. This chapter's pretty important, but sorry if it feels like there isn't much action. Most of this chapter is focused on character development between Sleet, Creek, Bounce, and Misty. It's one thing that I'm working on, along with weaving a bunch of character's personalities and stories into the major storyline. It's something I hope to do better with my other books.**

**So, kind of an exciting announcement: I have decided to continue Rise of the New Clans series which should come out soon after this novella ends (another six chapters or so). I've already started planning it and I'm excited because I have lots of ideas. It will take place back in the Valley, and Spotted Owl and Tall Pine with both be doing a lot of growing up. The working title is _What Is Most Precious. _That's all I can say for now!**

**\- A Warrior At Heart**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"Ha! You'll have to stop being so snail-pawed if you want to catch me!" Pebble's sparkling laughter rang across the Yard as she nimbly maneuvered out of the path of Sparrow's paw. She spun on her heels, her gleaming eyes offering a challenge.

"I could get you if you just hold still," Sparrow huffed. He shook his body, shaking off the dust that clung to his fur. His ruffled hickory-brown pelt was tangled with grass and stuck straight up on one side.

"Like I'd let do that," Pebble shot back.

"Then why am I am even trying?" Sparrow lashed his tail in exasperation, though his deep amber eyes held a glint of humor. "I'd be of much more use hunting like Bounce."

"Sleet wants all of us to work on our fighting skill," Darcy reminded him, unamused as she sat on the sideline. "Hunting isn't everything. Now, let's see you give it some effort, Sparrow. I've seen what you can do when you try."

"Very well." Sparrow nodded to Darcy, but a sly smile spread across his face. He whirled around and dove headfirst at Pebble, catching the speckled she-cat off guard.

Pebble smirked as she recovered swiftly. Raised her paws, she batted Sparrow's muzzle, halting him before he reached her. As Sparrow blinked unsteadily, Pebble leaped and pushed off his back. She grinned triumphantly as she landed, only to stumble over Sparrow's outstretched back leg. Sparrow whipped around and used Pebble's precarious balance to pin her successfully. "Got you."

Sparrow stepped back and let Pebble clamber to her paws. She shook out her pelt, trying to dislodge the grass and dust that coated her messy speckled coat. "My pelt is all dirty now."

Sparrow ignored her complaint, and instead gave her an approving nod. "Good job. You're a great fighter; it took a lot for me to beat you."

"I'll get you next time. I only lost because you used weasel-hearted move and tripped me." Pebble rolled her eyes, but she gave him a playful shove.

Darcy rose to her paws and was about to head over to the pair, but she froze in her tracks as Sleet's patrol burst into camp. Sleet was in the lead, her face a storm of fury carved from stone. Bounce followed close behind her; his short black coat spiked up. Brindle limped as she leaned on Misty's shoulder, whose ears were flattened against her head. Droplets of blood created a scarlet trail in their wake.

Gasps sounded from the cluster of street cats who had been lazily spectating Pebble and Sparrow's spar a few heartbeats before. Anxious murmurs sprang up like early warm season shoots and grew louder.

"Are you all okay?" Pebble's eyes darkened with concern, all playfulness gone.

Blackjack sniffed a nasty cut on Bounce's shoulder, then turned his pressing amber gaze on Sleet. "What happened?"

Sparrow stepped close, peering at Sleet. "Are you all right?"

Urgent voices, concerned tones, questions, and demands bombarded Sleet's ears like a swarm of flies. She ducked her head and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to shut out all the voices so that she could calm the chaos in her head. Her mind was hazy with pain from the wounds that crisscrossed her body, and still reeling from her encounter with Hornet.

_Hornet's back. He found me again. He's going to hurt me—_

_The rogues attacked us again. We have to do something immediately. We need to fight—_

_Misty, Bounce, and Brindle are hurt. I need to make sure they're okay—_

"Everyone needs to take a step back and be quiet." Pepper's voice cut through Sleet's thoughts. The brown tabby she-cat had pushed her way to the front of the crowd. She glared, her yellow eyes narrowed, at the other street cats. "None of you are doing any good barraging them like that. Can't you see that they're hurt and exhausted?"

Sleet shook her head as if it would clear her thoughts. But they just kept swirling as fierce as a dust storm, and persistent as a jay. Her heartbeat roared in her ears, and her throat swelled, making it difficult for her to breathe. _I don't know what to do! My cats are injured. The rogues attacked. Hornet knows. He knows who I am. _

"Sleet—" Pepper's stern gaze became gentle as she leaned toward her leader. "—are you okay? What happened?"

"Shut up, everyone!" Sleet's head snapped up. Her blood-stained fur bristled. Her ice-blue eyes flashed as she glared at her cats. "Be quiet. And leave me alone." With that, she shouldered her way through the crowd, who stood unmoving in stunned silence.

The street cats exchanged bewildered glances as Sleet stalked away. Darcy stared after Sleet, her brow furrowed. Ginger turned to Adder, her gaze confused and concerned as if to say, 'what was that?' But Adder only shook his head, a similar expression on his face of concern for their friend. Sparrow looked at Pebble, who gazed at him, her eyes a little hurt.

"Do you know what that was about?" Pepper took a step toward Misty and bent her head, her voice low. "Is Sleet okay?"

Misty shook her head as she raised her eyes to gaze over the street cats' heads. "I have no idea."

As Misty, Bounce, and Brindle began to fill the other cats in on the rogues' attack on their patrol, Creek quietly slipped away.

. . .

Sleet paced up and down in the shadow of the Yard wall. Her tail flicked back and forth like a restless sparrow. She shook her head, trying to clear her muddled mind. A swarm of buzzing bees was trapped inside of her, making her feel agitated so that she couldn't sit down, let alone stop pacing. Her thoughts raced in tune with her heartbeat, quicker than her paws. Her emotions swirled like a hungry thunderstorm, ready to devour her.

"Sleet?" A voice cut through her haze, but it didn't even register. Sleet kept pacing.

"Sleet." The voice became persistent. "Sleet!"

The dark gray she-cat snapped out of her daze. She paused as she looked up to see Creek standing a fox-length away. His tail twitched as he gazed at her, his head cocked. A frown creased his face as his eyes searched hers. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Sleet's tone was hard enough to splinter ice. She returned to her pacing. "Leave me alone."

Creek remained undeterred. "You don't seem fine." He took a step forward. Sleet paced faster as he continued. "Everyone's worried about you. Did something happen when the rogues attacked?"

Sleet froze in her tracks, her back to Creek, and tensed.

The dappled tom seemed to take that as a yes. He stepped to her side and placed his tail on her shoulder. "I'm here."

Sleet whirled around, tossing Creek's tail off her shoulder. "Of course, something happened. But it's none of your business. I wish everyone would listen and leave me alone. Leave me alone as I should be. As I always am." Her fierce expression twisted into one of severe anguish. A tear slipped down her cheek from her eyes that were round pools of hurt. Creek stepped to her side and draped his tail around her. As if letting go of an internal barrier, Sleet melted into his embrace.

"I'm here," Creek murmured, though he wasn't even sure if she heard him. He rested his head on top of her as her body shook with soft sobs. "I'm here."

Sleet wasn't sure how long it had been before her tears subsided. She took a step backward, now conscious of how close she was to Creek. His scent wreathed around her nose. She didn't want to acknowledge how cold she was now without his tail wrapped around her. Although her body felt empty and heavy—her well of tears dry—she was calm and composed.

Creek held her gaze, offering her a crooked half-smile. "Are you okay now?"

Sleet nodded—she didn't trust her voice yet.

Creek swallowed. His tone was measured. "Would it be okay to ask what happened?"

Sleet nodded again. She found herself unable to meet his eyes as she sat, and gestured for him to do the same. "Do you remember when we first met, and you asked me for my story? Well, what happened today is a part of a much longer story. I'd better start from the beginning."

Creek waited as they sat in silence for several long heartbeats. His expression was gentle as he watched Sleet. He knew not to rush her.

Sleet shuffled her feet, looking from the wall to the street cats to her paws. She cleared her throat, her voice husky as she began. "I wasn't born here. To the street cats, I mean, nor in the town. I was born in the early warm season in a forest far away." Her eyes glazed over as she stared into the distance. "My earliest memories are of sunny dapples dancing on the floor of our den, and wrestling with my brother, and the warmth—"

Sleet cut herself off as a lump formed in her throat. She felt as though she couldn't speak, let alone breathe. Sorrow rose, spreading throughout her, from a bottomless abyss of denial where she'd long since buried it. Agonizing, heart-wrenching sorrow that came with a flood of traumatic memories she'd also chained in the darkest corner of her mind. All she wanted to do was curl up in a ball and shut it all out again. _I'm so fluff-brained for thinking that I can do this. There is a reason I've never talked to anyone about this before. It...it hurts too much. _

"—the warmth of my parents' embrace," Sleet choked out. _I have to face my past; I can't keep shoving it all away. Creek is here for me. Right?_ "They had my brother, Slate, and I when they were very young, but they did their best. And they loved us." As Sleet kept talking, she found it easier and easier. "I remember when my mother used to bring us home the best prey—squirrels, rabbits, even a crow once. My father always said she was the best hunter in the forest—and outside the forest. He taught Slate and I hunting crouches, and how to play fight. We would launch ambushes on our parents. My mother always worried that one of us was going to get hurt. There was this one time Slate, and I were chasing a butterfly—"

Sleet stopped, her wistful expression twisting into a dark, guarded one. Her eyes were downcast, and her tail tip waved as if caught in a breeze. Her voice grew hushed once more. "That was the day my parents died."

"Oh," Creek breathed, his face empathetic as his heart reached out to Sleet. Her grief was reflected in his eyes, as he, too, understood the loss of a parent. He longed to console her, but he kept his paws rooted where they were. This was Sleet's to do on her own.

"It was just a normal day." Sleet's voice shook like a dried leaf in the wind. "Slate and I were playing, and we were excited because our mother was going to take us hunting for the first time. It was the first warm and sunny day in the warm season. It felt like the perfect day.

"Then the cats came out of the shadows. My mother ordered Slate and me to hide in the den, and cover our eyes. But I-I watched anyway. My parents went to meet the cats and they talked. I guess they must have disagreed because they attacked my parents. My mother and father fought so bravely, but the cats easily overpowered them. Then they split their throats.

"I saw a dark brown tabby tom turn toward the den. My parents' blood dripped from his claws as he advanced toward our hiding place. He was coming for us. I grabbed Slate and ran. We didn't look back."

Sleet raised her eyes to meet Creek's, serious and hard. "A few moons later, Slate and I ran into some of those cats again. I learned that the tom who murdered my parents is named Hornet. He is the reason my brother has a permanent injury. He keeps coming back again and again to hurt me. At first, I thought it was on purpose, but I was wrong. I found out today that it's much worse. He didn't know who I am, but now he does. Hornet will never give up now."

With a weary sigh, the dark gray she-cat's shoulders slumped—tired, and defeated. "What do I do? What do we do know?" She murmured, more to herself than Creek.

Creek tilted his head. "What do you think we should do?"

"I don't know." Sleet flicked her tail absentmindedly. "I guess…I guess I should start by sharing what happened with the others." She sighed again. "That will mean sharing my story. But I guess it's time. After that—" Her voice became stronger, surer. "—we should address the threat and come up with a plan." Sleet raised her gaze to meet Creek's, conviction burning like an ember in her eyes. "We will fight back, for my parents, for Slate, for our home and our lives."

* * *

**Hi everyone! Sorry it's been so long. I'm alive, I promise. I got pretty sick and I missed a couple days of school, and then when I got back I was swamped with homework. But it's all good now!**

**Here is chapter ten! We finally get Sleet's full backstory and a sweet emotional scene with Sleet and Creek. With only a few more chapters left, we are nearing the climax!**

**Reviews:**

**Nightshadow - Thank you!**

**The Unnamed Guest - Welcome back! Thank you. I've very excited for more Spotted Owl and Tall Pine too :)**

**QOTD: What do you think of Sleet's and Creek's relationship?**

**Here are the updated allegiances:**

**The Street Cats**

**Leader:** Sleet - dark gray she-cat with ice-blue eyes

Misty - long haired silver she-cat with midnight-blue eyes

Blackjack - black tom with amber eyes

Pepper - brown tabby she-cat with yellow eyes

Gravel - middle-aged gruff light gray tabby tom

Darcy - pale brown she-cat with yellow-green eyes

Ginger - feisty tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

Adder - ginger tabby tom

Bounce - small black tom with yellow eyes

Sparrow - dark brown tabby with amber eyes

Brindle - tawny-brown tabby she-cat

Pebble - gray and brown speckled she-cat

Creek - black and white dappled tom with yellow eyes

**\- A Warrior At Heart**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

"Sleet! Sleet!" Urgent cries rang out across the Yard. Sleet raised her head, blinking drowsily from where she had been dozing in sunny grass. Creek lounged next to her, his legs splayed out and eyes half-closed, but his head shot up alarm. The bones of their prey from their successful hunt—just the two of them—that morning lay forgotten between them along with the intimate conversation that had trailed off as the warm sun tugged their exhausted bodies toward sleep.

"What is it?" Sleet pulled herself to her paws and shook off the stray grass tangled in her fur, trying to look alert and professional as Adder, Blackjack, Gravel, and Pebble skidded to a halt in front of her. But with a building sense of foreboding, she already knew what they were going to report from the scratches crisscrossing their ruffled fur.

"The rogues," Adder panted, his eyes as wide as the full moon despite the slump of his shoulders.

"They crossed the border again," Blackjack elaborated with a furious huff. He stamped his paw into the soft earth. "They ambushed us before we even got there; in the alley before the abandoned building."

Sleet's ears flattened against her head as a wave of shock flooded through her. "This is serious news. They're getting bolder despite our warnings."

"The patrols are doing no good." Blackjack lashed his tail, his harsh tone ripe with exasperation. "We're all exhausted and spread too thin. We can't keep this up. And they are continuing to push into our territory, getting too close to home for my liking."

"Blackjack," Pepper said in a warning tone. She padded away from the gathered group of street cats to her mate's side, wrapping her tail around his shoulder.

Sleet flicked an ear. "It's all right, Pepper." _I know that Blackjack is worried about all of us—especially his family. _She sighed. _But he's right. We can't keep this up. _

"We need to reevaluate our plan." The street cats turned to Sleet, giving their leader their full attention. The dark gray she-cat swept the crowd with her gaze. "Blackjack is right; we are all feeling the strain of constant patrols. If we keep this up, we will make sloppy mistakes and become too exhausted to fight. The rogues have ignored our warnings, and they are only getting bolder. They are blatantly violating our authority by trespassing on our territory. It's clear now that they will not be deterred, so it's time to change our tactics."

A solemn silence ensued as Sleet finished her speech. Everyone knew what she meant and its implications, though nobody wanted to say it aloud.

"We have to fight," Bounce spoke up, breaking the silence as he pushed his way to the front of the crowd. His expression was grave. "Bloodshed is never a good option, but it's the only way to stop them. We have to engage with them directly by attacking first and driving them away once and for all."

Sleet nodded in agreement, though reluctantly, as murmurs rippled through the street cats. "I agree."

Ginger stepped forward, her sparkling green eyes solemn for once. "If that is the only way, then we will fight."

Sleet flashed her friend a grateful glance as Adder murmured his agreement.

Gravel dipped his head to Sleet. "I'm with you."

Blackjack draped his tail around his son, Bounce's shoulders, but he raised his chin. "We're all with you, Sleet. We have to protect our home."

Sleet smiled. "Thank you for your support, everyone. I will not let their attack on our patrol today go unanswered; we will retaliate soon. But I'm not going to send us into a risky battle without a full-proof plan. So, does anyone have any ideas?"

Darcy cleared her throat as she stepped out from behind Gravel. "I might be able to help with that."

Pepper tilted her head, peering at her comrade. "What do you mean, Darcy?"

The pale brown she-cat's eyes dropped to her paws, looking uncomfortable for this first time Sleet had ever seen since she'd known her. "Well, we know from Sleet that at least one Band cat is among these rogues. If what I think is going on, there will be more. I know all about their tactics, strategies, fighting style—and their weaknesses. I can share them with you, so we know what we're dealing with and how to defeat them."

Sleet furrowed her brow, uneasy stirring inside her like a butterfly's wings fluttering against her chest. "How do you know all of this?"

Darcy shuffled her paws. "Because…" She swallowed and then raised her eyes to meet Sleet's. "Because I was one of them."

_What? _Sleet's mind reeled. Her brain flooded with all of her encounters with the Bands. A fire of fury smoldered in her stomach. _She once belonged to the Bands? Those vicious, evil ice-hearts. How could she not tell any of this before? Can we trust her? _She took a deep, steadying breath. _Hold on, goose-brain. Darcy has been with the street cats for a long time, longer than I have, and she's been nothing but trustworthy. It was her choice if she wanted to keep her past a secret. Many of us haven't shared our stories. That included me—until a few days ago. _

Shock rolled off the street cats like morning fog, but to her relief, no one looked hostile or angry. Pebble and Sparrow stood side by side, their ears pricked with curiosity. Blackjack looked severe, but Pepper nodded at Darcy encouragingly. Misty stepped forward, her expression gentle. "It's brave of you to put yourself out there like this, Darcy. We all have dark and hard pasts and parts of ourselves that we keep hidden. This can't be easy for you."

Sleet dipped her head to Darcy. "But, thank you for stepping up. Your information would be integral for us to defeat the rogues. Will you share your story with us?"

Darcy nodded. She took a deep breath and cleared her throat again. "I was born with two sisters to the Tangled Gorse Band, a small Band on the edge of the moor. A moon before I was born, we had lost several members in a battle with our neighbors, the Sandy Hollow Band. The battle had weakened us greatly, and so the Sandy Hollow Band was able to claim a portion of our territory. As the cold season came, we struggled to survive on the open moor. Though our parents loved my sisters and me, our kit-hood had to be cut short as we began to train to hunt and fight starting from a young age so that we could help protect and provide for our family.

"Now, many moons ago, four Clans ruled the territories where the Bands live now. Over generations, they grew populous and powerful, and it awakened greed and disloyalty. A small conflict sucked all four Clans into a great war where they tore themselves apart from the inside out. But from their ashes, the Bands rose. Cats formed small groups bound by blood and undying loyalty. Every member of a Band swears to protect and be loyal to their family. Disloyalty would be our downfall, just like the Clans'. This way, not one group would become too powerful, kin wouldn't betray kin, and the Bands would not fall the way the Clans did.

"But when I wasn't even six moons old, a cat defied this age-old rule that kept us safe for generations. A young tom named Thunderclap had risen quickly through the ranks of the Five Pines Band, and when their leader died mysteriously, he claimed leadership of the strongest Band. He used his power to seize control of all of the other Forest Bands, from the Dark Marsh Band to the Sandy Hollow Band. I remember some older members of my Band talking about how he sent out a multitude of patrols to take new land, little by little moving advancing closer to ours. When Thunderclap became more aggressive, we allied ourselves with other Moor Bands until the leadership of Sprint, the head of the High Moor Band. The River Bands did the same.

"I fought in my first battle when I was barely eight moons old. The war dragged on for several moons until a harsh cold season forced us into a stalemate so we could focus on survival. Weakened from battle, Sprint perished in the depths of the cold season along with countless others. His son, Bee, took control of the High Moor Band, and by extent, the alliance. Thunderclap had turned his attention elsewhere, so we decided to dissolve the alliance—as per what we had agreed upon. But Bee decided that he liked controlling all of the Moor Bands, and he used the might of the High Moor Band to prevent us from leaving.

"My Band tried to leave the alliance," Darcy said, her eyes dropping to her paws. Her voice dropped to a soft, sad tone. "Bee put a swift end to all resistance by capturing or killing every member of my family. I was the only one who escaped." Her tone became as bitter as the taste of peppermint. "My father always said that Bee was a fearful, power-hungry coward. I am the coward for breaking my oath. For leaving my Band—my family—to die."

"Darcy, I'm so sorry," Pepper murmured as she touched her nose to the pale brown she-cat's ear. Misty, on her other side, nodded sympathetically.

"Thank you." Darcy was quiet for a moment, thinking. Then she raised her chin. A determined expression settled onto her face. "From the glimpses I've caught of them, I'm sure that the Band cats with the rogues are from the Forest Bands. That means Thunderclap most likely sent them." She flexed her claws. "I look forward to sinking my claws into their fur. I will not let my new family be harmed. So, why don't I start teaching you all how to defeat them?"

Sleet smiled grimly as the other street cats trailed after Darcy as she marched to their training arena in the center of the Yard. Sharing her past had seemed only to harden the former Band cat's resolve to defeat the rogues. Morale was high among the other street cats, and Sleet allowed her heart to lift with hope. _With Darcy's help, we have what we need to attack the rogues and win. We have to win. _But something nagged her from the back of her mind. It was what Darcy had said about how once he'd seized power, Thunderclap had sent out patrols to claim new land for the Bands. _Hornet is a member of the Bands, and he was on the patrol that murdered my parents. He may have carried out the act, but what if Thunderclap was the one to order the murder of my parents?_

. . .

Blood thundered in Sleet's eats in time with her frantic heartbeat. A whirlwind of excitement and anticipation tingled through her from her ears to her feet. She pressed her paws against the rough material of the rooftop to stop them from trembling. _This is it. We're going to attack. _

Night cloaked the landscape in darkness, and though the sun-posts and lights from inside buildings chased away the dark, shadows wreathed around Sleet, shielding her from view. Ginger and Creek crouched on either side of her, their muscles tense as they peered down intently at the street below. The rogues may have been tough and wily fighters, but they were intruders in the streets cats' territory—where they always had the advantage.

The faint patter of pawsteps on stone made Sleet's ears prick. She shifted her weight forward, her claws sinking into the roof so she wouldn't lose her balance as she peered over the edge. Two cats crept down the street, their shoulders to the wall of the building the street cats perched on. Their scent wafted into Sleet's nose, unmistakably the same ones she'd caught many times trespassing on her territory. Sleet curled the tip of her tail, her muscles tensing. _Closer, closer. Wait...now!_

Sleet's tail shot up like a startled rabbit as she plunged off the rooftop. For a heartbeat, air rushed around her. Then she crashed into the solid form of a cat, flattening him to the ground with a muffled thud. The dark gray she-cat picked herself up off the tom who was sprawled on the ground, unconscious. The brown and white she-cat in front of him spun around, her eyes wide and mouth open. But before she could even let out a squeak, a flying shape hit her from above. Creek clambered to his paws and shot Sleet a wide grin.

The street cat leader rolled her eyes at him as a shout split the hush of the night. The pair swung around to see two more guards standing a few tail-lengths away. Their fur bristled, and the one who'd shouted looked ready to sound the alarm, when Ginger came hurtling into him, knocking him out cold.

Sleet blinked, momentary relief washing through her before she saw the last guard turn and streak away. _Cloud-fluff_. She took off after him, feeling clumsy and slow as her legs the impact had jarred her legs. _I have to catch him. _Resolve hardened in her belly as she pushed her legs faster. But the rogue still pulled ahead of her. He swung around a corner as a black shape burst from the shadows and tackled him to the ground. They tussled for a moment, before the rogue slumped, unconscious.

"Thanks, Bounce," Sleet panted as the small tom picked himself up. Adder followed him out of the shadows, and she beckoned to them both. "Now that we've taken out the guards, let's get to their camp."

The street cats streamed through the night as swift and soundless as fish through water. As they reached where the alley stopped in a dead-end, Sleet raised her tail for them to slow. A narrow passageway split off to the right, bordered by a building on one side and a high wooden fence on the other. Flicking her tail to the left and right, Sleet directed Ginger and Bounce in either direction. Both cats nodded, and took off; Ginger clawed her way up the side of the fence and vanished onto the other side, and Bounce leaped onto a trash can, and then the low sloping rooftop of the building. The dark gray she-cat advanced into the dark passageway, Creek and Adder close behind her.

After a few fox-lengths, the passage widened into a square yard of rough stone strewn with rubbish and bordered by high buildings. The stale stench of metalbeasts hung in the air, telling Sleet that this must have once been a den for them, but the scents of cats were fresh and overpowering. The rhythmic breaths of slumbering cats met her ears. Shivers rippled through Sleet's body. _Here we go._

A large she-cat stepped out of a makeshift den made out of a No-fur box, her eyes bleary with sleep as she stretched lazily. Sleet froze as she and the she-cat's bleary eyes landed on her. They stared at each other for several long heartbeats.

The she-cat's mouth opened just as Sleet slammed into her, bowling her over. She nimbly maneuvered around several clumsy swipes as she scored her claws down her opponent's side before she whirled around and tackled another rogue. Other rogues streamed out of dens, alerted by the ruckus though still half-asleep. Ginger and Bounce to give two of them a nasty surprise from above they joined the fight.

Sleet ducked as a rogue swung his paw at her head. She countered with a blow to his shoulder that made him stumble. The dark gray she-cat was lunging forward to finish him off when a weight smashed into her legs. She ducked and rolled, colliding painfully with the hard ground, but she leaped back to her paws. Sleet managed to sidestep another attack, but claws dug into her side, and pain shot through her tail. She snarled, wrenching her tail out of a rogue's teeth as she wheeled around. The rogues behind her danced out of the way of her vengeful claws as more surged forward to attack her. Sleet growled in frustration, feeling as if she was fighting off a swarm of bees. _It's no use. We have the advantage of surprise, but there are too many of them. Where is Darcy? _

As if in answer to her thoughts, a battle cry reverberated off of high walls. The rogues swung toward the entrance, their expressions fearful, but Sleet only grinned. Darcy led the surging wave of reinforcements, her eyes blazing like a falling star, and her claws outstretched to pierce flesh.

Sleet followed them with her eyes as her comrades hurtled into the battle. Gravel lunged at one of her former opponents, and they rolled over and over, vanishing into the fray. A flash of dark brown fur caught her eye. Her body stilled as she met the familiar green gaze. _Hornet. He's here. _But instead of the usual stone-cold feeling of paralysis that came with seeing him, a raging fire of anger ignited inside her. Her paws began to move toward him, going faster and faster until she strode as powerful as a lion. Hornet stalked toward her as well, an invisible cobweb seeming to tug them toward each other.

For several long heartbeats, Sleet stared into his narrowed eyes. The battle around her faded away as her fury mounted like a thunderstorm about to break.

Then they clashed.

Fury pounded through Sleet's veins as she'd never felt before. An uncontrollable thirst for revenge overtook her, for justice for her family and herself that was only quenched by bloodshed. The street cat leader fought as harder than she'd ever fought before. She fought to avenge what Hornet had done to her parents, Slate, and herself. She fought to prevent what would happen to the street cats if they lost.

Sleet and Hornet became locked in an elaborate, though deadly, battle dance. They traded blow for blow, strike and counterstrike, neither one gaining the upper paw. Pain bloomed inside her, but she didn't feel the blows. Blood coursed like rivers and fell like rain.

Sleet ducked a blow aimed at her muzzle. Leaning forward, she sunk her claws into Hornet's red-stained flank. "This is for the street cats," She hissed in his ear. "You will never hurt my cats again. This is for my brother, Slate, whom you injured severely. And this is for my parents, Raven and Dewdrop. I saw you murder them."

Hornet turned his gaze on her, his mouth twisted into a sneer. "Oh, do you mean those weaklings? It's not my fault that they're dead. It's theirs."

The dark gray she-cat blinked, astonishment replacing her anger. Her heart nearly stopped in her chest. "Wh-what do you mean?"

Hornet shrugged. "We warned them. They knew perfectly well that they were on our land. They would have lived if they had only listened to us. But they refused to leave, so I had to kill them."

"What?" Sleet felt as though her entire world was crashing down. She stumbled backward away from Hornet. "N-no. That's not true." She shook her head. "That can't be true."

Hornet merely smiled sinisterly. "Oh, but it is." He rose to his paws, advancing toward her. "But you know, afterward, I thought I smelled kit-scent on the branches of the den. It occurred to me that those stupid, foolish cats resisted even though they knew it was in vain. It seemed as though to me that they were desperately trying to protect something. Or someone."

Sleet scrambled backward, her heart thudding in her chest as fear threatened to paralyze her once more. She searched for an escape route, but with walls behind her and Hornet in front of her, there was no way out.

Sleet froze as Hornet paused in front of her. She stared up at him, fear freezing her in place as he sank his claws into both of her shoulders. Blood welled on her chest as he pushed his claws deeper. "I now know that they were protecting you." He leaned to whisper in her ear. "It's your fault that they're dead. It's your fault that you were too incompetent even to protect your brother. You're a failure, and you've failed everyone, including these cats. We're going to slaughter them, and then we're going to take your territory."

_What? No, this can't be true. _Sleet's frantic thoughts raced through her head, chasing each other in circles. _But is he right? Did my parents die because they wouldn't leave our home to protect me? Did I fail in my promise to protect Slate? Was I so focused on revenge that I led my cats to be slaughtered? _She was drowning in a bottomless abyss of every fear and doubt and bad memory she'd ever experienced. _Is this all my fault? _

_No! _The simple statement echoed through her head. A last spark of defiance ignited inside her. _This is not my fault; it's Hornet's. He's spitting venom like the snake he is to trick me into surrender. All he has ever done is hurt me, and he's doing so now. But I am done with letting myself be hurt. _

"No!" Sleet burst out. She pushed herself to her paws, ripping Hornet's claws from her flesh. Blood leaked out of the deep cuts and gushed down her chest. Before Band cat could move, she whipped around, using the few tail-lengths between herself and the wall to get a running start. As he bounded after her, she leaped at the wall and pushed off, soaring high above his head. She twisted in mid-air so her paws were outstretched as she crashed down on him.

Sleet forced the brown tom to the ground, her claws pricking his pelt as she pinned his shoulders and spine. Rage still churned inside her, but it did not overwhelm her; she was composed and confident, and she knew what she had to do. "You're wrong." With her harness on her anger, she twisted and molded it into a sharp weapon for her to use. "None of this is my fault. It is all of your doing, yours and the Bands. You took away my parents, then you injured my brother, and now you're trying to hurt my cats. I will never let you hurt anyone ever again."

Hornet let out a raspy laugh than turned into a cough as Sleet's claws pierced his neck. His haunting green eyes glinted up at her. "And how are you going to do that? I have my orders; as long as I am alive, I will not stop until I have claimed the town for the Bands. And if it means killing you all like I killed your parents, then so be it. I serve the Bands. We don't make mistakes. We don't give mercy." He cracked a sickening smile. "But I know you will."

Sleet growled as fierce and low as a lion from the ancient stories. Her eyes narrowed into slits as her fury built once more inside her. She pulled Hornet's body up and slammed him against the ground. He coughed again, blood dripping from his lips. Sleet crouched to hiss in his ear. "But, you did make one mistake."

Hornet's triumphant expression faltered.

"You left me alive." Sleet retracted her claws and raised her forepaw. She paused for a moment, contemplating the crumpled form of who had used to be her worst nightmare. Then she slit his throat.

_I did it! _Sleet staggered backward off of Hornet's limp body. She stared numbly at the droplets of blood coalescing on her claws. _I really did it. He can never hurt me again. I'm free. _

A jubilant caterwaul snapped Sleet out of her daze. She looked up to see her fellow street cats standing, battered but alive, as they watched the rogues and Band cats flee. It was Darcy who had yowled. Others joined her, lifting their voices as they shouted their victory for the entire town to hear. A small smile crept across Sleet's face. _We did it. _

The dark gray she-cat took a step forward. She stumbled but caught herself, all of a sudden feeling frail as a newborn kit and oh-so tired. She could feel her strength ebbing like the river of blood which spilled from her open wounds. Her eyes drifted upward as she tried to call for help, but found herself unable to form words. Through the chaos, she met Creek's gaze. His eyes flicked down to what Sleet realized was Hornet's body, and then back to her, widening slightly with something she didn't want to acknowledge as fear.

"Creek," Sleet whispered. Her throat was as dry as dead grass. She took another wobbly step and collapsed. She could hear paw steps race to her side and felt a nose press into her bloody pelt as her consciousness drained away.

"Sleet—" Creek begged, "—no."

Then everything went black.

* * *

**Whoa, that was an intense chapter. It was longer than I intended, so thank you for reading! This chapter is the climax of the novella where Sleet finally faced the demons of her past in the form of Hornet, and unlike the last two times, she is able to overcome them. This also signals a change in her character. Character development is something I'm working on, so I really hope I've made a good character arc for Sleet that is convincing and lodgical.**

**We also get a pretty cool ambush scene if I do say so myself, and we get to learn about Darcy's past, and through her, a history of the Bands from a former Band cat's perspective, and how Thunderclap ascended to power. This information will be built on in the next book.**

**There are only a couple of chapters (about four) left after this! I can't believe we're almost to the end! I'll see you at chapter twelve, where we'll find out if Sleet is okay!**

**\- A Warrior At Heart**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

The first thing Sleet noticed was the pain. Excruciating pain like a thousand claws piercing every bit of her flesh. The world around her was pitch-black and pain-filled. Her mind was a mess of haziness as she tried to make sense of everything around her. Her body felt as heavy as a boulder and as fragile and broken as a torn flower petal. Aching pain made lines all across her pelt where claws had carved wounds into her body.

But, at least she was alive.

That's what Sleet reminded herself as she drew in a greedy gulp of air. A lightning strike of pain flashed down her chest and along her flanks, but she took in another ragged breath. A hacking cough stirred deep inside her, making her chest convulse. A bitter metallic liquid filled her mouth, and although her body protested, she moved just enough to spit it out.

"Sleet!" A worried voice reached her ears as a scent invaded her nose. Sleet tensed, her recent memory of the battle against the rogues at the forefront of her mind. A warm nose nudged her, and she relaxed as she recognized Ginger's familiar smell.

Sleet cracked open her eyes, blinking like a newborn kit. "Ginger?" Her mew was rusty.

"I'm here." Ginger's face filled Sleet's vision, her green eyes bright to match her tone, though Sleet knew her well enough to detect an undertone of grave concern. "I'm glad you're awake. We've been worried. How are you feeling?"

"Like I got run over by a metalbeast," Sleet returned, though without her usual enthusiasm. She paused, clearing her parched throat. "How—how long was I out?"

Ginger's expression solemned. "Nearly four sunrises. Creek found you unconscious after the battle. You collapsed because you had lost a lot of blood. We had to stay there for three sunrises because you were too injured to be moved. We bandaged your wounds, but there wasn't anything else we could do but wait. We were so worried about you."

Ginger gazed at Sleet, worry creasing her haggard face so she looked as if she had aged moons. After a heartbeat, the tortoiseshell she-cat seemed to snap out of it, and as she forced a too-bright smile on her face, her voice overly cheerful. "But you're awake now. Everything's going to be okay."

"I hope so," Sleet murmured. She grimaced as she pushed herself up on her forepaws, briefly noticing for the first time the cobwebs that smothered her pelt like a second skin. Ginger leaned forward to help her, whiskers twitching in concern, but Sleet stopped her with a flick of her tail. The dark gray she-cat cleared her throat. "Could you get me some water instead?"

"Oh, of course." Ginger looked relieved as she busied herself with soaking a small clump of leaves in a puddle of rainwater outside the Den and then carried it by the stem over to Sleet.

The gray she-cat breathed in relief as water droplets slid from the wet leaves onto her tongue, soothing her parched throat. She felt some of her strength return. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Ginger set the bunch of leaves on the first shelf behind Sleet, between Misty and Gravel's nests. She paused for a heartbeat before she slowly turned back, her green eyes round as they met her friend's. "Sleet—I've been scared these past few days because I thought that we were going to lose you, but also because I was never going to get to talk to you." She took a step forward. "But now you're awake; I can get that chance. I want to tell you that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for how distant I've been these past few moons."

Ginger's gaze dropped to her paws as her voice hushed. Her tail drooped, and her shoulders slumped. "I was shocked by how you changed after Ace's death, and I didn't like who you were becoming. I felt like I didn't know who you were anymore. But I was a bad friend. I pushed you away when you needed me the most. I miss you." She raised her head slowly, her eyes shining with hope. "I hope that we can be friends again."

Sleet's heart melted with bittersweet joy. The corner of her mouth tugged upward. "I've missed you too. I know what it feels like to regret pushing someone away and not be able to tell them what you want to say." A shadow crossed her face. "I'm sorry too. I was filled with so much grief and hurt and fear after Ace's death. I let my emotions get the better of me. I drove my brother away. I closed our borders and hurt many cats who depended on us. I don't like who I became either. But in many ways, it's still who I am. I can't change that, but I can try to be better."

Ginger padded to Sleet's side and touched noses with her. "I may not agree with everything you've done, but I understand that you've done it all to protect us. I will be there for you from now on." Her eyes still held a shimmer of doubt. "If you'll let me."

"Of course," Sleet exclaimed. "Don't you ever doubt that you are my best friend." She smiled sadly. "Thank you, Ginger."

Ginger tipped her head. "You know, I never got to say it when you shared your story, but I am so sorry for everything you went through. I understand more now."

"Thank you," Sleet said again. Her jaws stretched open in a giant yawn as tiredness washed through her.

"Oh, I'm such as cloud-brain." Ginger shook her head. "I just kept talking I completely forgot that you're injured. You need to rest."

"No, I—" Sleet's protest was interrupted by another yawn.

Ginger gave her a dubious look as she helped the dark gray she-cat settle back on the plush nest of No-Fur pelts.

Sleet let out a long breath as she felt her body relax. Although her pain had faded into a dull ache, it encompassed her entire body. Exhaustion made her limbs limp reeds, and her head felt like feathers were stuffed inside it. Whatever strength she had regained was ebbing away quickly, though at least she knew now that sleep would replenish it. All she wanted to do was sleep.

But Sleet raised her head, fighting off her exhaustion. She couldn't sleep yet. Despite her tiredness, her mind was finally clear, and urgency filled her. "Ginger, the last thing I remember before blacking out was the rogues fleeing. They're gone, right? We won? And how are the others? Were there any other serious injuries?"

Ginger grinned. "Yes, we did. The rogues fled like the weasel-hearted cowards they are, and we haven't smelled a sniff of them since. Everyone else is okay. You'd think that Pepper was dying the way that Blackjack worried over her, but she's already back on her feet. Gravel got a nasty scratch on his neck, but he's a tough old guy. Bounce and Pebble both ended up looking like they crawled through a bramble thicket backward, but they are already talking about how cool their scars will look, even though Misty told them their scratches won't scar."

Sleet let out a snort of amusement, imagining those two cheeky rascals.

"Everyone else, myself included, just got a scratch here and there." Ginger shrugged. "We were really worried about you, though. Creek was especially. He volunteered more than anyone else for shifts to sit by your side." A sly grin crossed her face. "You know, it's not hard to see how much you two care about each other."

"Ginger!" Sleet yelled in mock outrage, although the tips of her ears burned. She lashed out with her legs, but missed her friend and only succeeded in having a shock of pain jet up her side.

"What?" The tortoiseshell she-cat blinked innocently. "Are you saying that you don't care for him?"

"No, but—"

"Then you do like him!" Ginger smiled triumphantly.

"That's not what I said."

"Oh, come on, Sleet. Just admit it. You and Creek are good together. There's love in the air."

Sleet opened her mouth to protest again, utterly mortified, when something occurred to her. "Well, maybe we're not the reason that there's love in the air."

Ginger blinked. "What?"

Sleet chuckled. "You're seriously denying that you and Adder have liked each other for moons now?"

"No—" Ginger cut herself off as she shook her head. "All right, Sleet. Well, since you're trying to avoid the subject, it is my duty as your friend not to let you." She turned and bounded toward the entrance to the Den. "Creek will be overjoyed to know that you're awake!"

"What? Ginger—no." Sleet settled back with a frustrated huff as her friend's tail whisked out the entryway. _Sometimes Ginger is such a goose-brained pain in the tail. I hope that she doesn't tell Creek._ Despite the lingering embarrassment at her friend's teasing, Sleet was surprised that she actually cared whether Ginger told Creek or not._ I do care about him. More than I've even admitted to myself. A new thought dawned on her. What Ginger said about saying what you mean to say to others, because you don't know if you'll ever see them again is true. Maybe I should tell Creek._

"Sleet?" The dark gray she-cat jumped, earning herself another grimace of pain as a voice broke through her thoughts. She raised her head to see Creek poking his head inside the Den.

"Creek!" Sleet's heart leaped in her chest. She quickly bent her head and laped a few times at her chest fur, hiding her embarrassment at her initial flustered, though overjoyed reaction. Her traitorous heart beat rapidly in her chest. She took a deep breath and arranged her face in a composed expression before she beckoned to him. "Please, come in."

Creek's paws were silent on the floor as he padded up to her and touched his nose to her ear. His round eyes scanned Sleet, assessing her injuries. He tilted his head. "How are you feeling?"

"My wounds hurt," Sleet admitted, "but I'm feeling much better, and very relieved to be alive."

A brief smile flickered across the black and white tom's grim face. "I'm relieved too."

Sleet shifted, uncomfortable with the black and white tom's unusual quiet concern, so unlike his normal energetic and jovial self. "How are you? I hope you didn't get too injured."

"I'm fine," Creek said dismissively. His eyes never left Sleet as if he couldn't believe that she was awake and all right.

Sleet raised her brows. "Are you sure? I've never seen you like this."

Creek was silent for a long heartbeat. "I just can't believe that you're okay," he confessed at last. His eyes shone with unshed tears. "You almost died, Sleet. I was so worried and scared. I don't know what I would have done if you had died."

"I'm sorry I scared you," Sleet murmured. "But I'm alive, and I'm going to be fine, you fluff-brain."

He laughed softly. "I may be a fluff-brain, but at least you're alive."

Sleet held his gaze for a long heartbeat. Warmth swelled in her chest, a deep, raw, fierce emotion that she hadn't felt in a long time. She let it wrap around her as she gazed at him, revealing in its touch like the feeling of Creek's tail around her. Her paws tingled with nerves, but once she dared to push ahead. Now was the time to speak up, for she would never had the courage to do so again.

"Creek," she began uncertainly. "Since I almost died, I realized that I might never get to tell you this, so I want to now. I want to tell you that I think that you are a funny and sweet and caring cat. What's more, you're strong and brave and trustworthy. I am gladder that you'll ever know that you decided to stay with us. I am fortunate to have you." She paused to take a breath. "I-I want to say that I like you, Creek. A lot."

Nervousness shivered Sleet's entire body as she finished her statement. Her eyes searched his face as she waited for him to reply.

Creek's ears flattened against his head as he averted his eyes. His face was a mash of conflicting emotions she couldn't name. "Thank you, Sleet," he replied softly. "I like you too, and I admire you a lot."

_That's not what I meant._ Sleet blinked, confused. _Why doesn't he understand?_ "No—" she shook her head, "—I meant that I—"

"I should go." The black and white tom turned away, his voice cool and neutral. "You need to rest and the others want to see you."

Sleet flinched, feeling as if he'd cuffed her muzzle. The warmth in her chest dissipated, replaced by confusion, shock, and underneath it all, hurt. Her thoughts were in a befuddled state of disarray. _What just happened? Did he not understand what I meant? Why does it feel so awkward all of a sudden? _One thought rose above them all._ He doesn't feel the same about me._ Despite her hurt, she quickly arranged her face into a mask of indifference to hide it.

The dark gray she-cat hauled herself to her feet with a hiss of pain. She steadied herself before she attempted to put one paw in front of the other. "I guess I'll go see them then."

Creek swung around, his eyes widening. "Sleet, be careful. You shouldn't be walking yet. You need rest."

Sleet waved her tail at him. "I'm fine. I need to speak with the street cats." She could feel Creek's follow her as she staggered slowly toward the sunny entry to the Den. Sorrow and hurt swelled in her chest, making her hesitate as she neared the entrance. But she set her jaw, locking her heart away in its encasement of ice so she couldn't feel it break as she stepped from the shadowy den into the brightness of outside.

"Sleet!" Bounce's joyful yowl split the air as the street cat leader stood, blinking in the harsh brightness of the sunlight.

In a mere heartbeat, all of the street cats were clustered around her, drawn to their leader like bees to a flower. Sleet's lips curled into a smile, her spirits lifting as she found herself in the familiar company of her cats.

"Welcome back," Misty purred, deep like thunder as she touched noses with Sleet. "It's great to see that you're okay."

"How are you feeling?" Pepper inquired, her yellow eyes clouded with motherly concern.

"We're all happy that you're all right," Blackjack added from beside his mate.

Darcy dipped her head to the gray she-cat as she leaned in close. "I saw your fight with Hornet. That was a battle well fought."

"Thank you," Sleet murmured. As she readied herself to address her cats, she caught Ginger's eye. The tortoiseshell she-cat gave her a questioning look, but she ignored it. Instead, she raised her head, projecting her voice to address all of her cats. "Thank you all for your concern. Though I was weakened greatly in battle, I will recover soon. I want to congratulate you all for not only fighting a hard battle but triumphing and driving out the rogues. They will no longer threaten us. I nearly died in battle with the tom called Hornet who has caused me so much pain. But I won, and we won."

The street cats cheered, and after a few heartbeats, Sleet raised her tail for silence. "But, we cannot let down our guard. We will need to remain strong and vigilant for any new threats, especially as the cold season is almost upon us. But I am confident that we can overcome any threat as long as we are together."

The cats cheered again, and this time Sleet let them. A smile spread across her lips as she watched her cats celebrate their hard-earned victory. But her smile faded, and her heart dipped with woe as she saw Creek watching forlornly from the entrance to the Den, a melancholy expression on his face.

* * *

**Eh...this wasn't a very exciting chapter, but I felt like it was important for Sleet and Ginger's relationship and Sleet and Creek's. While Sleet and Ginger are friends again, Sleet and Creek are not doing so well. One thing that I hope I've made clear about Sleet is how all of her hardships have hardened her and shaped her personality. While she is extremely guarded around her feelings, she also desires connection more than anything else. While Creek does like and admire her, Sleet's forgotten how recently he left the Clan's home, and Drifting Leaf. He's just not ready. Poor Sleet.**

**\- A Warrior At Heart**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

The overcast sky was as gray and dismal as Sleet felt. A brisk wind blowing along the street tossed flurries of lazy snowflakes to and fro. She fluffed up her pelt against the cold, though the snowflakes dissolved as soon as they hit the pavement, vanished as if they'd never been there. A few alighted on her back and got caught in her whiskers, turning her fur moist and making her shiver.

Sleet's pawsteps were as silent as the nighttime in her old forest, though the banter behind her made it hard to hear even the metalbeasts that roared back and forth on the next street over. But she didn't want to disrupt Adder and Ginger's vigorous conversation that filled the empty silence—and the emptiness inside her.

"I can't believe you think that Pepper's favorite prey are robins," Ginger argued passionately. "It's obviously mice."

"No, I'm sure they're robins," Adder said with a shake of his head.

"Have you asked her?" Ginger pointed out.

"No, but I was on a hunting patrol yesterday with Blackjack. He caught a robin and brought it straight to her." Adder grinned triumphantly, his whiskers twitching.

"Fine," Ginger grumbled. "I guess I have to admit that you're right. But Gravel's favorite prey is a pigeon, and you can't convince me otherwise."

Adder laughed. "I have to agree. Gravel usually doesn't do things like this, but whenever there's a pigeon on the pile, he dawdles nearby to make sure no one takes it."

Ginger tilted her head. "What do you think is Darcy's favorite prey?"

Adder frowned. "Hmm. I don't know."

Sleet lead the way around a corner and then along a fence that bordered a patch of grass as her two friends continued to contemplate their serious dilemma. She tuned them out as her thoughts drifted to the back of the patrol. Creek trudged along with his head down, lost in his thoughts.

A lump formed in her throat as Sleet glanced back at him. He was not supposed to be on this patrol, but just before they were ready to leave camp, she had realized Ginger had tricked them both into coming on the same one. Sleet concluded her friend must have noticed how they had been avoiding each other for the past half-moon and was trying to get them to talk.

At first, it had been easy to evade Creek as Sleet spent most of her time sleeping inside the Den. However, as she gradually returned to her duties, it had been hard for the other street cats not to notice how they ate at opposite ends of the camp, and she assigned them to patrols that would take them to opposite sides of town. Ginger must have decided to take matters into her own paws. Despite her friend's good intentions, Sleet wished that she hadn't decided to meddle.

_I don't know what to say to him, _Sleet thought, smothering her anger with cold determination._ I don't have anything to say to him. He doesn't care for me as I care for him. But maybe if I… I wish… No. _She stopped herself.

"—what do you think, Sleet?" Adder meowed.

The dark gray she-cat started, startled out of her thoughts. "W-what? What do I think about what?"

"What do you think is Darcy's favorite prey?" Ginger asked.

"I don't know." Sleet turned away with a dismissive swish of her tail, hoping she'd put an end to the conversation.

"Well, what do you think, Creek?" Ginger inquired loudly.

"That's a hard question." Creek frowned contemplatively, a hint of his usual enthusiasm in the glint of his eye. "I'm not sure Darcy even has one. But I hope we finish up this patrol soon. Any type of prey would taste pretty good to me right now."

Adder chuckled. "You can say that again."

Ginger caught Sleet's eye and gave her a meaningful look with a jerk of her head at Creek. Sleet replied with a scowl.

As the patrol set off again, Adder and Creek fell into step while Ginger picked up her pace to Sleet's side.

"Sleet," Ginger asked, dipping her head close to her friend's, her brow furrowed. "What's going on?"

The dark gray she-cat sniffed. "Nothing."

But the tortoiseshell she-cat wasn't deterred. "Is everything okay between you and Creek?"

"Is that why you're meddling?" Sleet countered, playfully nudging Ginger with her shoulder.

Her friend merely stared at her, brows raised.

Sleet sighed. "No, it's not." She stared at her paws, her voice growing small as a mouse. "I took your advice. I tried to tell Creek how I feel about him. But he blew me off. I don't know what to do."

"Oh, Sleet," Ginger breathed. "I'm sorry. If I had known that, I would never have pushed you to talk to him. But are you okay?"

The dark gray she-cat hesitated. "No, not really." She opened her mouth to say more but lapsed into silence.

Ginger mutely touched her tail to Sleet's shoulder, letting her friend have space until she was ready to talk.

"I don't know what to think or what to do. I care about Creek a lot, and I want to be closer to him, so I tried to tell him how I feel. But he cut me off before I could finish. I don't know if he misunderstood, if I went too fast, or if he doesn't feel the same about me." Sleet drew in a breath and let out a frustrated puff. "I wish I hadn't dared to tell him how I feel. I wouldn't have frightened him, or he wouldn't have misunderstood me. Things would be fine between us."

"But you wouldn't know if he doesn't feel the same," Ginger reminded her.

"True." The street cat leader twitched her whiskers. "But then I wouldn't be feeling like this. So...hurt."

"Well, whatever happened, he is a goose-brain for blowing you off." Ginger lashed her tail. "If you want me to kick his fluff-brained tail, just say the word."

Sleet chuckled faintly. "That's a kind offer, but it would be better if you don't."

"If you say so." Ginger flashed Sleet a smile before her expression grew solemn. "You should at least talk to him."

Sleet frowned, her ears flattening against her head. "I don't know."

"Sleet!" Ginger rolled her eyes. "You care about him, don't you?"

She nodded.

"Then I promise you; you will never forgive yourself if you push him away. You don't know for sure what happened or what he is going on for him. As you said, this could be a misunderstanding."

"I don't think so."

Ginger sighed in exasperation. "That doesn't change the fact that you need to talk to him to know for sure." She swung around, planting herself in her friend's way. She jerked her head toward Creek. "Go. Fight for him."

Sleet sighed. "Fine. I will."

Ginger shoved her backward. "Now."

"Okay, okay. I'm going." She padded a few steps. "Happy?"

Ginger ignored her and turned to Adder instead. "Hey, can I talk to you?"

The ginger tabby tom glanced from Creek to Sleet to Ginger. "Sure." He trotted up to her. Ginger bent her head to murmur in his ear, and he nodded. They vanished around the corner, leaving Sleet painfully aware that she was alone with Creek.

"So." Creek's chuckle filled the silence. His tone was light, trying to smooth over the awkwardness. "Ginger and Adder made a hasty exit. I guess they must be wanting some alone time."

Sleet shook her head wearily. "Nope. Exactly the opposite."

Creek's eyes widened slightly. "Oh."

She nodded. "We need to talk."

He sighed but nodded in agreement. "Yes, we do."

A wave of emotion swelled inside Sleet as she took a seat, and Creek did the same. She fought every instinct screaming at her to flee far away, feeling as though she were tearing the bandages off fresh wounds by facing down her pain. She fought off the urge to cry as her hurt broke free of its icy prison and curled around her heart. Anxiousness made her paws tremble, but she planted them firmly on the ground.

"Creek, when we spoke last, I tried to tell you how I feel about you," Sleet began, her words spilling out in a rush as though she was afraid if she stopped to breathe, she wouldn't be able to continue. "But you stopped me before I could finish. I was hurt and confused. Since we've only known each other for about a moon, I don't know if I scared you by moving too fast. Or if you misunderstood me. Or—" Her face fell, and her voice grew small. "Or if you don't feel the same about me."

A deep breath heaved through Creek's haggard body. His head was bent, his eyes averted. "No, Sleet. You didn't frighten me, and I understood what you were trying to say. But I think you misunderstood me."

The dark gray she-cat's head shot up, her heart lifting like a bird's wings on a breeze. _Could this be a misunderstanding? Does he care for me as I care for him?_

"As I said, I think that you're fierce, determined, and courageous, and I admire you," Creek went on. "You're also a strong leader and a loyal friend. I want you to know that I like you a lot." He paused, considering her. "I understand that you care for me, but your statement took me by surprise. I wasn't ready, so I didn't say what I meant in the best way, and I think you misunderstood me. Let me explain. I—"

Sleet rose to her paws, cutting him off as understanding dawned on her. "No, you don't have to explain anything. I understand now. I didn't misunderstand you before: you don't feel the same about me."

"No, that's not what I mean—" Creek protested.

"I don't know how you can mean anything else," Sleet snarled. The fur on her neck bristled, and her claws slid out as her pain mingled with rage in a swirling storm. "I can't believe you would do this to me. I trusted you. I let you in. I told you things that I have never told anyone else. I loved you. But I was wrong to let you join my cats, and I was wrong to let you in. I should have known. Letting others in will always end up hurting me."

"Sleet—" Creek began. His eyes were deep lakes of sorrow.

Sleet silenced him with one glance. "No. You don't get to talk."

Adder hurtled around the corner but halted abruptly once he saw them, his expression flustered.

Sleet swung toward him. "What is it, Adder?"

The ginger tabby tom shifted from paw to paw. "I'm sorry that I disturbed you. You seem like you're busy."

Sleet let out a long exhale. "Don't worry about it. We were done talking anyway. Come on, spit it out already."

Adder grimaced as he beckoned to them. "I didn't want to bother you, but Ginger thought you we should get you. It's this way."

Sleet felt Creek's gaze linger on her back as they followed Adder around the corner and down the adjoining alley. She shook out her fur as if she could shake off his gaze like an annoying fly. A new layer of ice enclosed her heart, another layer hardened by experience, another layer to protect herself from being hurt, although her emotions still swirled, a deep and dark mess. She put each paw down firmly, her shoulders squared. _I was fluff-brained to let Creek in. But I will never make that mistake again. I will never let myself be hurt ever again._

Ginger crouched at the end of the alley, facing the towering No-Fur trash bin shoved against the rough gray wall that her pelt turned gray in the long shadow it cast. A tuft of creamy brown fur poked out from in front of her. As she approached, Sleet realized that her friend was pining a cat.

Ginger stepped backward as Adder, Creek, and Sleet stopped a tail-length away, revealing a creamy-brown she-cat not much younger than Sleet. But unlike Sleet's thick pelt that was crisscrossed with scars, the she-cat had a velvety coat and mild yellow eyes that were too soft for her to have lived in the town for long.

"We found her hunting on our territory," Ginger explained at Sleet's questioning gaze, flicking her tail at the body of a rat a few tail-lengths away. "I thought that we should get you. I don't think that she is one of the rogues, but we can't be too careful."

Sleet gave Ginger a curt nod before she turned to the she-cat, gazing down her muzzle. "This turf belongs to us, the street cats. Not only are you trespassing, but you tried to steal prey from us. You had better explain yourself and quickly."

The she-cat's eyes widened as Sleet spoke, and her whiskers trembled ever so slightly. Her gaze dropped to her paws. "I-I'm sorry. I did not know that these streets belonged to you."

Sleet's eyes narrowed as a growl rumbled in her throat. "Everyone in the town knows which streets belong to us. Newcomers learn fast. Anyone without feathers for brains can smell our scent markers."

"You're right." The she-cat's head snapped up, her ears pricked, and her eyes round and urgent. Words tumbled out of her mouth as fast as a melting warm-season brook. "I lied. I did realize that these streets belonged to someone. I would never do such a thing, but I had no choice. I had to get some prey. My father—"

"That does not change the fact that you trespassed on our territory and stole from us." The creamy brown she-cat cowered as Sleet advanced, her teeth bared. "I do not take those crimes lightly, especially when the perpetrator tries to lie about it."

"I am so sorry," the she-cat said again, staring up at Sleet. "Please. The cold is making prey scarce. I need food for my father. He's sick."

"That's not my problem," Sleet snarled, her emotions whipping up into a blind fury. She loomed over the she-cat. "My first priority is my cats' survival, especially when the cold season is nearly upon us, and we need every piece of prey in our territory to make it through. It seems that the cats of this town are forgetting that we closed our borders. Trespassing and stealing prey from us is a crime and will be dealt with accordingly. Maybe it's time to remind them of that."

The world around her faded away until all Sleet could see was the she-cat in front of her. All she could feel was an overpowering rage and burning desire to stop everyone who had hurt her and her cats. She raised one paw over her head, her long claws glinting in the dying sunlight. The she-cat bent her head, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Sleet!" The dark gray she-cat froze, blinking with shock as a sharp cry cut through her trance like a claw through flesh. Creek shoved roughly her out of the way, and crouched beside the she-cat, shielding her from Sleet's view. He swung back around, his smoldering glare making her stumble backward. "What in the skies were you _thinking_?"

The dark gray she-cat blinked, dumbfounded. "W-what?" From behind Creek, she caught sight of a scarlet stain spreading across the she-cat's flank. She sucked in a breath. _Did I do that?_

Creek's tail lashed the air. "How could you do this? I turned a blind eye for a long time because I was in love with you, but I can't ignore it any longer. You just hurt an innocent cat who needs help. I know what Hornet did to you, but you were no better than him when you ruthlessly killed him. You all are nothing like the street cats I met moons ago who helped and defended those in need. You are no better than the rogues you drove away." His expression was fierce as he stood nose-to-nose with Sleet. "And that is all your fault."

Sleet struggled to remain calm as fury exploded inside her. _How dare he say those things about me. I am doing what I have to protect myself and my cats. He doesn't understand._ She clenched her jaw. _But is he right?_

Creek sighed, his shoulders slumping. As he took a step backward off, his tone softened. His eyes were wistful as he held Sleet's gaze. "I was in love with you. Or at least I thought I was. But I wasn't ready to be. That is what you wouldn't let me explain. Barely two moons ago, I left the Clans, and my mate, Drifting Leaf, behind. A flood of sorrow and regret consumed me. But I met you, and I felt like I was finally coming up for air. I was desperate for connection, and I wanted to feel loved again. I could see that you wanted to be loved, too, so I agreed to stay. I feel deep into what I thought was love, but I realized that I have not moved on from Drifting Leaf yet, so I am not ready to be in love again. It's not fair to you. You deserve someone right for you, someone who can truly love you. I am neither of those cats."

The black and white tom drew in a deep breath. "That is why I am leaving."

Sleet felt as though her entire body was shaking after Creek finished. A mess of conflicting emotions—confusion, shock, sorrow, regret, and anger—battled inside her. _I was wrong. He did love me—but not really. Not anymore. He's leaving. It's probably for the best._ Anger triumphed over the others, though she couldn't deny the ball of raw hurt and sorrow deep in her core, all of her hidden memories and experiences and feelings finally broken out of their icy prison and laid out for her.

"Fine," she spat, her tone laced with malice poorly disguising her hurt. "Leave. Take the prey and get out."

Creek blinked in surprise, his green eyes wide with a question he didn't need to ask. The creamy brown she-cat raised her head, her eyes hopeful.

Sleet stepped closer. "I am letting you leave in peace because of what you mean—" she caught herself "—meant to me, but know this: if I ever catch you on my territory again, I will kill you."

Creek bowed his head. Slowly, he rose and helped the creamy-brown she-cat limp down the alley. Ginger and Adder stepped aside, mute with shock, though they briefly locked gazes with Creek in silent goodbyes. The dark gray she-cat's eyes never left Creek as the she-cat and him as they collected the rat and shuffled down the alley. They rounded the corner, and then they were gone.

Sleet bent her head, suddenly feeling exhausted as if the weight of an entire building was pressing down on her shoulders. She bit back a moan of sorrow, of loss as Creek was gone, and he had taken the rest of her broken heart with him.

* * *

***Long exhale* What a chapter. So we had more development of Ginger and Sleet's friendship (I'm glad Sleet at least has someone) and we've finally reached the climax and resolution of Sleet and Creek's little arc. Daffodil has also been introduced. I was hoping to develop her more because I have an idea for a whole story with her, but it just didn't fit in. I think once Sleet cools off, Creek's words to her will be a bit of a wake-up call. I wrote a lot in this chapter, so I hope everything seems smooth and logical and made sense. We already knew this outcome from what Creek told Spotted Owl, Tall Pine, and Blossom Dust in Land of Shadowed Stars, but I liked having the chance to focus more on it and flesh it out into a real story. Does anyone wish Sleet and Creek stayed together? I do a little.**

**\- A Warrior At Heart**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

"Sleet!" Bounce's call echoed from the rooftop as he leaped down from the big building onto the top of the Den.

The dark gray she-cat raised her head, blinking drowsily as she roused herself from her doze in a warm pool of sunlight in the corner of the Yard. She arched her back and stretched lavishly, relishing the warmth of the warm season. The past cold season had been harsher than she'd ever remembered—though she'd only lived to see two—and it seemed to drag on for moons longer than it should have. But the bitter cold and darkness were nothing more than a fleeting dream in the cheerful sunlight, fresh green leaves, and melodic birdsong all around her. The warm season brought with it peace for the street cats and inside Sleet that she had never experienced before.

She tried to convince herself that peace was good. Her cats had recovered from the bitter cold season and had flourished like blossoms during the last two moons of warm weather. Prey was plentiful. Their borders were quiet. For once, there were no hardships, no trials, no more battles to fight. She had fought hard to achieve peace for her cats. This was what she'd always wanted. Peace.

She was bored already.

"Sleet." Bounce's voice brought the dark gray she-cat back to the present. His quick steps carried him quickly across the Yard toward her.

In a heartbeat, Sleet was wide awake and on her paws, her face tense, ready for whatever information he was about to deliver. "What is it?"

Bounce's expression was grim. "My patrol ran into Peppermint near the big street. Do you remember her?"

Sleet nodded. An image of the gray she-cat with dapples like ash on her fur surfaced in her mind. She'd seen Peppermint a couple of times hunting on their streets when she'd first joined the street cats. The loner had mostly kept to herself, so Sleet hadn't even noticed she was gone until Ginger had told her that she'd left the town. "What about her?"

"She gave us a message for you. It's from Creek."

A growl rumbled like a brewing storm in Sleet's throat. "What does he want?"

"To talk with you," Bounce replied. "He asked you to meet him in the meadow near the farm outside the town tomorrow at sunhigh."

Sleet bit back a huff. _Creek chose to leave and he only came back to meddle in our affairs to help those intruders. What could he possibly want? And why would he think that we would help him?_ She pushed her anger away, trying to think with a clear head. _Although I still hate Creek for what he did, he's risking his life to talk to me, so it must be serious. But I can't be sure. _She paused for a moment. _I should talk to my cats._ She turned her attention back to Bounce, who waited patiently. "Will you gather everyone in the Den? We need to discuss this news."

"Yes, I will right away." Bounce dipped his head to Sleet, and then hurried off, his kit-like spring of excitement in his step.

_Misty is right,_ Sleet reflected. _Bounce has grown into a fine young cat. He could be a good leader one day._ She snorted wryly. _Who would have thought? _Her thoughts shifted back to Bounce's report as her paws carried her toward the Den.

Sleet's tail tapped out a rhythm on the smooth floorboards as she waited as her cats filed into the Den. Gravel, Brindle, and Pebble, the other members of Bounce's patrol, followed him inside silently, tense expression on their faces, but confusion was apparent on the other street cats' faces. Ginger sent Sleet a look with her brows raised.

Darcy strode inside last, her face creased with irritation. "What's going on, Sleet? Pepper, Sparrow, and I were about to go hunting."

"Bounce's patrol brought me a report that I thought you all should hear," Sleet responded, gesturing with her tail for Darcy to have a seat.

The pale brown she-cat's expression immediately switched to one of alarm. Her ears pointed forward, and the fur on her neck rose. "What happened? Are the rogues back?"

Sleet shook her head. "Nothing like that." Darcy's fur settled as the gray she-cat addressed all of her cats. "Bounce passed along to me a message from Creek. He wants me to meet him outside the town tomorrow at sunhigh, to talk."

Her cats seemed to take a collective breath, but they remained surprisingly calm for Sleet's strange announcement. Instead, their expressions were worried or confused as they gazed at Sleet.

"Creek?" Ginger blinked incredulously, her mind still trying to catch up. Pebble and Sparrow exchanged perplexed expressions.

"Why does he want to talk to you?" Blackjack asked, a hint of a growl in his voice.

Sleet shrugged. "I don't know."

Misty tilted her head, considering Sleet. "What are you going to do?" She asked softly.

"I don't know," Sleet repeated. She sighed as she attempted to sift through her muddled thoughts, but she felt more confused at the barrage of voices.

"I'll tell you what we should do." Blackjack stood, squaring his shoulders, though he pinned his ears back. "We should do nothing."

Pebble wrinkled her brow. "What do you mean?"

The black tom turned to her. "We do nothing. Sleet doesn't go tomorrow. Creek chose to leave us." His gaze slipped to Sleet. "We owe him no loyalty, so there's no reason to go."

"But he's our friend," Ginger protested, her tail tip twitching.

"But what about what he did to Sleet?" Adder reminded her.

Darcy stood as well. "I agree with Blackjack. Our first concern should be our cats, not ones who left us. Besides, we have no idea what Creek wants. It's a bad idea for Sleet to go alone."

Brindle flicked her ear. "It could be dangerous."

Bounce turned to his father. "It was my patrol who spoke with the messenger—Peppermint. She seemed worried. Creek wouldn't do something like this without a good reason."

"He's a good cat," Ginger added. "He wouldn't hurt anyone. And he might need our help."

"Hurt someone?" Blackjack repeated, gesturing with his tail to their leader. "Do you not remember how heartbroken Sleet was after he left?"

Sleet let out another sigh. She bent her head, trying to shut out all the noise. _I don't know what to do. They're all right. Creek's a good cat, but it could be dangerous. He might need our help, but do we owe him our loyalty? I don't know if I can face him. After everything that happened between us, after everything he said—_ Her heart ached in her chest as though it was shattering into a million pieces. She barely held in a sob, cursing her weak emotions. _After everything, I still care a lot about him. I miss him._

With several deep breaths, Sleet regained her composure. Her swirling thoughts settled like a dying breeze onto one conclusion. I think I know what we should do.

"Hey." Ginger's voice was soft in her ear. "Are you okay?"

Sleet nodded. With a final deep breath, she raised her head and held up her tail for silence. "Thank you all for your input, but I've come to a decision. We will go to meet with Creek."

Ginger smiled briefly at her as Darcy stepped forward, her eyes sharp. "I don't think that's the right decision, especially considering everything that happened between you two. You heard our concerns."

Sleet inclined her head. "Yes, and that is why we will all be going tomorrow. All of us. Can you all agree to that?"

Darcy hesitated, but she dipped her head in accordance. Sleet's gaze scanned her cats as most murmured their agreement. She lingered on Blackjack, who, at last, nodded. A grin flickered across Sleet's face before it faded. _So, we're going to meet Creek tomorrow. What have I gotten myself into?_

. . .

The hot sun scorched Sleet's back. Her dark gray fur was like a piece of moss with water as it soaked up all of the light from the sun that had inched across the sky as they waited. She kept her eyes fixed on her horizon, but they flickered up to take in the position of the sun, much lower than it should be. Despite her earlier composure, impatience and annoyance flared inside her. _It's long past sunhigh. Where is he?_

Sleet's hind leg began to cramp from sitting so long, so she rose and began to pace, the dried grass crackling like a small wildfire under her half-unsheathed claws. _He's extremely late. If he's not here soon, we should leave. _Bitterness tasted like mint leaves in the back of her throat. _I don't know why I even bothered to come._

"Sleet." Darcy's mew brought her out of her thoughts. The pale brown she-cat's tipped her muzzle up to the wind. "He's here. And he's not alone."

The street cats clustered around Sleet as she rejoined them, dropping into battle stances, muscles tense, and eyes alert.

Ginger leaned in close to her leader. "Are you going to be okay?"

Sleet shrugged. "I don't know," she answered as honestly as she could. She took a deep breath, trying to prepare herself as the hedge bordering the meadow rustled. But nothing could prepare her for the flood of emotions that came as Creek emerged. She could remain in denial, lock her feelings away all she wanted, but there was no stopping them from coming back once their source was right in front of her. It was as if she was back in that alley so long ago now, her heart breaking all over again.

Sleet doubled over, breathing heavily as she tried to sift through the overwhelming tide. _It's him. Creek came. I only caught a glimpse of him a moon ago, so it's been more than eight moons. So much time. What do I say to him? _For once, no anger swirled inside her, only the raw sorrow and regret for what she'd lost.

"Sleet. Sleet," Ginger said in her ear. "Are you okay?"

The street cat leader breathed out slowly, imagining her emotions floating away on her breath. "Yes. I think I will be."

Sleet straightened up, peering over Blackjack and Gravel's heads in front of her. Creek waited at the edge of the meadow, his eyes haunted and fur unkempt, but he stood with square shoulders, much stronger and more confident than she'd ever seen him while he was with the street cats.

A flash of fur caught Sleet's eye. Peering out from behind Creek was a lithe black and white tom nearly as tall as him, though much younger. Although the new tom had wary yellow eyes and bigger black splotches, he was unmistakably Creek's kit. _Is that Creek's son with his old mate, Drifting Leaf? He never mentioned that he had kits._

Sleet took a last deep breath before she pushed her way between Blackjack and Gravel. As she strode out into the open, she felt her icy encasement from around her heart, once more shielding her vulnerability with anger. Her tail lashed with agitation. "My cats and I walked out here to meet you, and you made us wait. You had better start talking, traitor, and give me one good reason not to tear out your throat."

"I apologize for my tardiness." Creek's tone was aggravatingly calm as he steadily met Sleet's gaze. The dark gray she-cat struggled to control her urge to avert her eyes. "We've come a long way to speak with you."

"So have we." She jerked her chin at him. "You better get on with it."

Creek nodded. He took a seat and waited for a moment as if expecting her to do the same. Sleet remained standing. He cleared his throat. "A moon ago, a patrol of Clan cats left their home in the mountains in search of the Bands. I found them when they crossed through your town, and I brought them to the Bands. I stayed to help them with their mission. But the Bands discovered that I was helping them, and they forced me to betray the Clan cats—"

Sleet snorted softly in dry amusement. She tasted the bitterness that filled her. "What a surprise. You turned traitor on them as well."

Creek's gaze snapped to her's, sharp enough to slice a branch in half. "If you want me to speak, then let me."

_Fine._ Sleet bared her teeth, but she held her tongue.

"Thank you." Creek continued. "The Bands captured several members of the Clan cats. They're being interrogated and tortured for information. I can lead the Clan cats to the camp where the prisoners are, but we have too few numbers to hope to rescue them by ourselves. That's why we came."

Sleet's eyes narrowed as Creek's meaning dawned on her. "You're asking for the street cats' to fight the Bands?"

Creek met her gaze, his expression tentative, but his voice was firm. "Yes, I am."

Indignation sparked inside Sleet. "Why should we help you? You betrayed me. The Clan cats trespassed on our territory. And yet, you're asking us to lay down our lives in an impossible fight against the Bands in exchange for nothing." Her face curled into a snarl to mask the painful memories brought to the forefront of her mind. Her tone was as hard as stone. "They're vicious tyrants and cold-blooded killers. We'll be _slaughtered_."

"I'm asking because innocent cats are being tortured," Creek pleaded, his eyes round. "And because we have something in common: the Bands have wrongfully hurt us and those we love. If you join us, we will show the Bands they cannot hurt us any longer."

Sleet sucked in a breath, but she turned away, shaking her head in a single decisive decision. "No. You are embarking on a dangerous and fluff-brained mission. I strongly suggest that you give up. If the Bands have your Clanmates, there is no hope for them. Nevertheless, I will not ask my cats to risk their lives for others we owe no loyalty to. We will not help you. That is my final decision."

Sleet heard Creek's pawsteps chase her. He pulled around her, stopping her in her tracks. His gaze latched onto hers, wide and pleading. "Please. I'm not asking for my benefit, but for the cats who are suffering because of the Bands." He flicked his tail at his son. "I ask for his sister and my daughter, who they are holding prisoner."

Sleet stared at him for a long heartbeat. His imploring eyes tugged at her heart, and she felt herself waver. _Maybe, we could—_ She stopped herself. "No."

Creek stepped closer to her and bent his head so she could feel his soft breath on her whiskers. His beseeching expression morphed into a dangerously desperate one. "Did you decide so quickly because you're concerned about the lives of your cats? Or is it because you're still scared of the Bands after what that patrol did to you and your brother?"

Sleet gaped at Creek, shocking echoing through her. _What? How could he say that? I trusted him with my past. How dare he use it against me!_ Anger surged like a tsunami inside her. With a roar as ferocious as a lion's, she raked her claws down Creek's cheek, feeling the flesh break beneath her claws.

The entire meadow seemed to hold its breath as Creek wobbled, but he didn't fall. He spat out a mouthful of blood as he turned his head back to Sleet, blood welling on the three thin scratches on his cheek. He stared at her but didn't strike back.

Sleet's anger roared inside her. She gave in to it, letting it conceal her panicked sense of betrayal. "How dare you!" She hissed. She pressed her ears against her head, her slitted eyes glaring venomously at Creek. "You mangy traitor. I found you wandering through the town, weak and vulnerable, and I let you join us. I trusted you. I confided my story in you. I loved you." She spat at his paws. "All you have done is betray me."

Creek met her gaze without flinching. "You gave me no choice. You could have killed an innocent cat had I not stepped in. We may have been close at one point, but it was only because I was vulnerable after I left the Clans. I will never agree with your ways. You are hardly any better than the Bands."

Sleet tried not to let her hurt show. Her anger faded, her voice becoming stone-cold. "If I am no better than them, then why are you asking for my help?"

Creek tipped his head at her, his tone softening. "I came because I believe that you can be better than them. I saw that cat for a little while. I apologize for betraying your confidence, but it was the only way to make you listen. I believe that you can do the right thing. You can face your fear and stand up to the Bands by helping us rescue our cats."

The silence stretched on as Sleet deliberated internally, her tail tip twitching. _Creek is asking us to risk our lives to help them free the Clan cats. I've seen what the Bands can do._ She shivered as the memories of her parents' deaths, and her brother's injury passed through her mind. _This isn't our fight, but they're our lives. We owe them no loyalty, especially after what Creek did._

_But, _She wavered a little. _If we don't take a stand, the Bands will continue to hurt more cats, like they did my family. We could help return many cats to their families, including Creek's daughter._ Her heart lifted a little. _With a good plan, and us joining their numbers, it could be a fair fight. We might have a chance of winning. And I—I have the opportunity to do the right thing. To be better. To fix some of my mistakes, starting with this._

She glanced back at the street cats behind her, her eyes a question she didn't need to voice. Bounce, Sparrow, and Pebble peered over their parents' shoulders, their eyes wide and excited. Ginger's gaze shone in reply. Adder shifted his weight; his head tipped in thoughtful consideration. Brindle blinked uncertainly. Misty dipped her head. Blackjack looked resigned but did not object. Darcy glanced at Pepper and Gravel on either side and gave Sleet a small nod, her eyes glinting dangerously as she answered for all of them.

Sleet turned back to Creek. _I hope that we won't regret this._ With a great sigh, she nodded. "All right. We will help you."

* * *

**Another chapter done! Only one more and an epilogue to go. This one was interesting for me to write because half of it is a scene I've already written, but with a new perspective. I hope it was interesting to read! I changed the dialogue a little to make it fresher and to fit more of what I felt like fitted this story, and this way I find it very interesting to see how Sleet's personality and history affects the way she perceives the scene. I've wondered how different people experience the same thing in different ways, and how our personalities and history affect the way we interact with reality. It's also cool to know what was going on for her during the scene and how it corresponds to what Tall Pine observed. That was a goal of mine when writing this: tell Sleet's story so we know why she acts the way she does in _Land of Shadowed Stars._ ****As this story is coming to a close, I feel like her character arc is coming to an nice close. She's met with Creek again and made the conscious decision to work on being better and fixing her mistakes. ****Next chapter, the street cats will be going to help the Clan cats and Sleet will be reunited with Slate after more than a year.**

**\- A Warrior At Heart**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

Unease made Sleet's pelt prickle like bramble thorns. In the deep shadows of the raven-black woods, she could make out the shapes of the Clan cats standing outside their makeshift camp. Despite the darkness, she could sense the hostility wafted off them, more pungent that rotting roadkill.

_What's going on? _Sleet shouldered her way through the dense crowd of cats, some she knew from the forest as a kit, some from the town, others she didn't, but they all had come to help fight. Ginger and Blackjack trailed in her wake, while the rest of her cats waited at the back. At the front of the crowd, she could see Creek standing with his son, Tall Pine. He was speaking with the Clan cats, and it didn't look like it was going well.

A light brown tabby she-cat surveyed the crowd, her face tense. "Who are these cats and what are they doing here?"

_What? _Sleet recoiled with surprise. _They didn't know we were coming? _She gritted her teeth to avoid clawing Creek's ears as he explained. _Creek asked us to help without even knowing if the Clan cats wanted it. We might have come all this way for nothing. _She eyed the tabby she-cat whose neck fur was bristling. _It doesn't even look like they want our help. _

A dappled gray she-cat not much older than Pebble brushed past Sleet. She moved to stand by Creek's side and raised her chin. "We are the cats of the forest, farms, and town, and we all are friends of Creek. He asked us for help, but it was our choice. We want to help you fight because the Bands have hurt us too."

_That's true. _Sleet watched as other cats stepped up to express why they had come to help. _We all came because we want to stop the Bands from making anyone else suffer. But will the Clan cats accept the street cats' and my help after we threatened them?_

Gathering her courage, Sleet stepped forth. She dipped her head. "My name is Sleet, and I am the leader of the street cats. A few of my cats, myself included, are among the countless victims of the Bands. They murdered my parents and hurt my brother, and I don't want to see anyone else lose their family. That's why we've also come to offer our help."

The gray she-cat raised her head, her whiskers twitching, uneasy in the long silence. She searched the Clan cats' faces, a mix of hostility, astonishment, and elation. _Are they going to accept our help or not?_

A beautiful honey-gold she-cat broke through the crowd, her paws trembling with kit-like excitement. The Clans' typical scent clung to her sunset fur, but it was slightly different from others—a heavy watery scent. She dipped her head low to the newcomers. "You all are unexpected, but your help is most welcome. We will be forever grateful. Thank you for coming to help us."

Sleet drew back toward her cats as the crowd began to move. A group of Clan cats clustered together while the loners dispersed into smaller groups. Her cats murmured to one another as they settled down to wait as well, though Blackjack's eyes never left the Clan's, and Darcy paced impatiently around the edge of the group.

Sleet remained standing as her eyes wandered around the camp. She took in the groups of loners scattered amongst the ghost-gray trees, and the Clan cat's low mutters as they clustered together outside their deep black burrow. She tipped her head back to gaze at the silvery moon and stars glowing between the branches. The brilliant specks reminded her of the dapples on Creek's pelt. A tingle shivered down her spine as a lump formed in her throat. _It's been moons since I was last in the forest. _The stillness came allowed space for her doubts to creep out like the shadows of beasts that lurk in the night. _Did we make the right choice to come here?_

The dark gray she-cat turned her head as she heard soft footsteps come up to her. Misty's midnight-blue eyes were serene as she settled beside her leader.

"It's strange being here," she remarked, following Sleet's gaze. "Isn't it? Everything happened all of a sudden and all at once, but now we're here, and now what?" Her gaze shifted to Sleet's face. "I know that expression. I know that now we've had time to settle, you're probably wondering if you made the right choice. This can't be easy for you after everything you'd been through."

Sleet let out a long sigh, and nodded, wondering for the thousandth time how Misty always knew what she was thinking.

The silver she-cat's expression was gentle. "You need to tell yourself that no matter what happens, we all made this choice together. You are not the only one responsible, and you are not alone. All of these cats have been hurt by the Bands in one way or another. They killed your parents because they refused to leave their home. They captured or killed Darcy's family because they fought back." Sleet looked at her surprised, as she shifted, her voice lowering. "No one but Gravel knows this, but I was not born a wild cat like the other street cats. I was born a housecat, with housefolk. But I was always too curious about the outside world. One day, I escaped. I was so infatuated with this new world, that I got lost and wandered onto the Bands' territory. A patrol found me and attacked me even though I had trespassed by mistake. They nearly killed me and then left me for dead."

Sleet's eyes widened, her mouth hanging ajar. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea."

The longhaired she-cat tipped her head, a good-natured expression on her face. "It's all right. Ace, a young loner then, found me and nursed me back to health. We eventually created the street cats together. I know that he would have approved of your decision to help Creek."

Sleet gave Misty a small smile. "Thank you. That means a lot to me." She sat down, content to stay in silence as her gaze returned to the scene around her. She stiffed, shock freezing her to the bone as she spotted an eerily familiar dark gray pelt. The tom stood with his back to her, deep in conversation with Tall Pine, a small golden-brown she-cat, and a tortoiseshell she-cat.

_Oh my mousetails, oh my mousetails. Is that really him? _It felt as though a boulder had crushed her. She could barely remember how to breathe, but her paws carried her closer all on their own. Her heart beat like the frantic wings of a moth caught in a spiderweb. She swallowed, trying to dislodge the lump in her throat. Her voice was rough and dry. "Slate?"

Sleet's heart became a bird, growing wings and launching into the sky as the dark gray tom swung toward her, his achingly familiar eyes met hers. She didn't need even need a heartbeat to know that it was Slate. She trembled from her paws to her whiskers as she held his gaze. _After all this time, Slate is here. My brother is here. I've found him again. _Tears brimmed in her eyes as she longed to pull him close and never let go.

"Sleet." The dark gray tom inclined his head. His tone was neutral and though he took a step forward, he didn't move any closer. _He's guarded, _Sleet mused. Even after more than twelve moons apart, she still knew how to read him. Her heart sank. _He isn't happy to see me. _"It's been a while."

"Yes. It has." Sleet shifted her weight, disappointment settling like a shower of cold rain over her. Her eyes flickered briefly to the tortoiseshell she-cat. While the young golden-brown she-cat hung back with Tall Pine, the older she-cat stood by her brother's side. _Is she his mate? _

Slate touched his tail to the tortoiseshell she-cat's shoulder. "This is my mate, Harvest. We live on a farm on the other side of the town with our kits, Swallow and Chestnut. I've heard a few stories from passing rogues over the moons about you and the street cats."

Sleet smiled tightly, doing her best to mask her anguish. "Congratulations. I'm not surprised." She dropped her eyes to her paws, a touch of bitterness in her tone. "You always had everything figured out."

Slate tipped his head, his voice soft. "Some of us need more time to find where we belong. We're all very different, even brothers and sisters."

The siblings held each other's gaze as a long silence stretched between them. A river of memories, experiences, and words lay in the silence, shared between them, and yet dividing them. Sleet had to stop herself from lashing her tail. _Slate is right in front of me now, but he still feels so far away. I think I know why he's being cold. I have to tell him what I meant to tell him moons ago. But can he ever forgive me? _

Harvest touched her tail to Slate's shoulder. "I'm going to go talk to Creek."

"Okay," Slate breathed. "I'll see you later." For a long heartbeat, they tenderly held each other's gazes. Harvest swiftly nuzzled his ear and padded away.

"Slate, I need to tell you—" the dark gray she-cat began as her brother turned back to her.

"Sleet—" he started at the same time.

Slate chuckled as they both cut themselves off. His lips tugged upward into a small smile of amusement as he gazed warmly at his sister.

Sleet felt herself wanting to smile as well, but she remained serious. "I need to speak first. I have something that I need to tell you, that I've been wanting to say for more than twelve moons. You have to stay quiet and listen to me."

Slate furrowed his brow, but he nodded.

Sleet took a deep breath. "I'm sorry." She blurted out. "I'm so sorry for everything that I said and did all those moons ago." All of her pent-up sorrows and regrets came spilling out in a torrent. "I'm sorry for resenting that I had to take care of you because of your injury. I'm sorry for making you join the street cats when you didn't feel at home there. I'm sorry for being blind to everything that was going on for you. I'm sorry for not being there to help you when you were struggling with your injury. I'm sorry for calling yelling at you and calling you a burden instead of listening to you."

Sleet paused to take in a ragged breath. As she reached her last apology, she found herself unable to meet her brother's gaze. "I'm sorry for driving you away." She swallowed and slowly raised her eyes to meet Slate's. "Can you ever forgive me?"

"Everyone!" The commanding call came from the cluster of Clan cats. "Let's gather to discuss our plan."

Slate turned his head to watch as the immense group of cats streamed toward the entrance to the burrow. Sleet's eyes didn't leave her brother's face. Her heart sank as she turned away. _I guess that's it then. _

"Sleet." Her brother's mew made her freeze as he reached out a paw to stop her. The street cat leader turned back to him, her pelt prickling with apprehension. His deep yellow eyes met her wide blue ones. "Of course I can. You're my sister."

Sleet drew in a short gasp as Slate flung himself around her. She melted into his embrace, her head resting against his chest, her tail tangling with his. It felt so good, so warm, so right, like a half-faded dream coming to life. Tears brimmed in the corners of her eyes. _Slate. My brother. I missed you so much. _"I-I love you."

Slate pulled back so he could meet her gaze, conveying all of the emotions in their depths he couldn't put into words. "I love you too." He tossed his head at the gathered cats. "Will you fight by my side?"

Warmth swelled in Sleet's chest. She grinned. "Always."

. . .

Sleet roared a battle cry as the Clan cats' leader, Yellow Sky, gave the signal, and they charged down the winding trail. A horde of paw-steps thundered behind her as the street cats, Clan cats, and loners raced into battle. Slate matched her step for step, his eyes alive with an exhilaration that reflected her own. Harvest's face was tense with concentration as she raced a step behind her mate. Darcy, Gravel, and Blackjack were hard on Sleet's paws with the rest of the street cats streaming out behind them.

The wave of cats surged past the boulder that hid the narrow entrance and plunged down the trail. The Bands' arrogance in the security of their hidden camp had permitted the first wave of attackers to infiltrate the camp unnoticed as soon as Creek had shown them the hidden entrance. But now Sleet could hear the clamor of battle far below, and the time for stealth was over.

The real attack was about to start.

The immense stone hollow came into view as Sleet rounded the last turn, only to crash into a Band cat who was attempting to flee. She bowled him over as Slate, Harvest, Gravel, and Yellow Sky tackled four more trying to escape. Her muzzle stung as her opponent battered it with his paws, but she gritted her teeth and took the brunt of his attacks. All it took was a precise scratch to the stomach, slipping through the tom's defenses, and his struggles ceased. Sleet didn't waste another heartbeat as she plunged into the fray.

Ducking underneath strikes, dodging between tussling cats, and clawing her enemies, Sleet whipped through the battle like a tornado. She swung her blows in tune with her heartbeat that pounded in her chest. All of her senses were alert, and every hair on her pelt tingled. She felt invincible, powerful, and alive in the heat of the battle. She had something to fight for. She knew that they were going to win.

Sleet ducked under a swipe aimed at her ears and head-butted the Band cat's chest, hurling the she-cat onto her back, and knocking the breath out of her. She finished the she-cat off with a deep bite to the neck, and then she raised her head to survey the fight. Loners, Clan cats, and her street cats struggled against the Band cats, but they had a flame burning inside them—a reason to fight, to win.

Bounce and Sparrow fought back to back, matching each other strike for strike, though they were surrounded by three Band cats. Pebble materialized out of the fray, a long scratch down her side, but ferocity in her eyes as she tore one of the Band cats off of Sparrow's back.

On the other side of the hollow, Gravel wrestled a tortoiseshell she-cat to the ground. Ginger and Adder worked together to trip up a large russet tom. Near the towering stone wall, Sleet recognized Tall Pine and his sister Blossom Dust fending off a reddish-brown tom. A black and white dappled she-cat their age fought alongside them as though they'd been doing that since birth. _That must be there sister, Creek's daughter. They found the prisoners._

An echoing caterwaul made Sleet's gaze snap to her left. Darcy blazed like wildfire through the battle, scorching cat after cat. Her bristling pale brown coat shone scarlet like the center of a flame with blood, but Sleet knew it was not her own. Her eyes burned bright with fury as she exacted her revenge on the Band cats.

_Yes, Darcy. _Sleet gave Darcy a nod as their eyes met across the battle. _Let's make them pay for what they did to our families. _

The dark gray she-cat tensed her muscles and was about to jump back into the fight when a weight crashed down on her from behind. She instinctively ducked and rolled, crushing her attacker beneath her weight, but thorn-sharp claws pierced her flanks, holding on. She leaped to her paws and writhed, this time tossing her attacker over her head like a piece of prey. She was about to pounce when a desperate scream split the air.

Sleet swung in a circle, her neck fur standing on end and her eyes darting like a frightened rabbit around her. A gap opening between the fighting cats, and she gasped as she saw Harvest. The tortoiseshell she-cat staggered unsteadily, blood dripping like dewdrops from her fur. Her bleary eyes tilted upward, but she made no move to defend herself as a blue-gray tom struck her.

_No. _Sleet surged forward, but teeth clamped down on her tail, hauling her backward. _Someone has to help her. _With a frustrated huff, she whirled around, meeting the gaze of her attacker. Two long teeth peeked out from under a curled upper lip as the blue eyes of a slender light gray tabby she-cat glared murderously at her. With a snarl, Sleet lunged at the Band cat. Her opponent met her halfway, and they entangled in a fierce knot of claws and fur. Sleet summoned all of her strength, fighting as hard as she could, but the she-cat was better. She soon found herself with her chest heaving with the effort, bleeding from superficial—though many—scratches. _I've got to end this now. _

Sleet lessened her attacks, allowing herself to be taken down. As the she-cat advanced on her, she curled her hind legs up to her chest, and struck out, flinging the Band cat backward. She didn't waste a heartbeat as she leaped to her paws and scanned the battle. Her heart dropped in her chest as she saw the blue-gray tom strike Harvest upside her head one more time. The tortoiseshell she-cat fell, vanishing from Sleet's view. The street cat held her breath, waiting for Harvest to struggle to her paws, but she did not rise again.

_No. _Sleet dashed toward where Harvest had fallen, weaving through the fighting cats, her opponent forgotten. But before she had gone more than a dozen paw-steps, she put up short, stifling a gasp. The brown tabby pelt of Sparrow lay limply in a pool of blood in the center of the war-torn hollow. A small black shape—Bounce—bent over his brother, nudging him with his nose. He glanced up as Sleet approached, his anguished yellow pools tearing Sleet's heart in two. She froze in her tracks, praying that her eyes were deceiving her. _No. Sparrow can't be dead. _

Another cry for help jolted the dark gray she-cat out of her stupor. She scoured the battle, panic rising higher and higher like floodwater inside her. The allied cats fought side by side as they tried to hold their ground, but the Band cats were slowly driving them back. Wails and screams of pain from the wounded strewn across the battlefield filled the air. Sleet caught a glimpse of a Band cat sinking her teeth into a loner's neck with a sickening crack. A sick feeling twisted in her stomach. _We're losing. They're too strong. How many more cats are going to die in this battle we should never have started? _

At last, Sleet spotted Misty struggling against a burly Band tom halfway across the hollow. She sprinted toward her, her paws flying over the ground. _I will not let another of my cats die. _She pounced on a gray tabby tom, hauling him off of Misty. With a few blows, she sent him scrambling away into the fray as she turned to face another enemy.

The battle around her faded away as Sleet fought. Flesh tore beneath her claws. Pain sparked across her body. She ducked, dodged, and lunged, fighting harder than she'd ever fought before. All of a sudden, her claws met thin air.

Sleet blinked as she came out of her daze. Her heartbeat slowed as she took in the devastation around her. Bodies littered the blood-spattered ground, the survivors picking their way through them. A group clustered near the entrance; the battered Band cats standing aside as the equally worn Clan cats and loners began to file through, but with their heads held high.

_Did we win? _Sleet's jaw slackened in disbelief. _We won. _But her elation dissipated as quickly as a puddle on a hot day as she surveyed the fallen cats. The Clan cats and loners were beginning to collect their dead—too many to count—including many of the prisoners who they didn't know, but had fought to free. Misty limped by Sleet toward the entrance, leaning heavily on Gravel's shoulder. Bounce held back tears Pepper and him hoisted Sparrow's body on Blackjack's back, his parent's faces stunned and sad. Slate bent over Harvest's body, his sides shaking with sobs. Sleet's heart went out to him as she picked her to him across the battlefield. _We won, but at what cost?_

. . .

_We're a sorry sight, _Sleet thought as she trudged along through the forest. She wove between thick trunks and groups of cats who rested in golden pools of sunlight where they had stopped once the Clan cats had decided they were safe. The evening sunlight slanted through the branches of the canopy, illuminating the stately oak trees in a deep scarlet-orange. A soft tranquil silence hung over the forest, disturbed now and again by a melodic bird call or a rustle of the full warm-season leaves. A plump squirrel darted across her path and scrambled up a tree trunk, an acorn clutched in its teeth. But though there was life and beauty all around her, they were not enough to lift her heavy heart.

A gasp of pain caught Sleet's attention as she passed a group of cats. A tabby loner she-cat lay on her side, her eyes glazed over and flanks heaving with ragged breaths. Although they were wounded as well, two other loners bent over her, doing their best to staunch the bleeding from her deep wound. Sleet flattened her ears as she clenched the herbs in her jaw and hurried on her way. She could tell that there wasn't much they could do for the she-cat, and there were others who were wounded that she had to get back to.

_I never thought I would think this, but I miss that dull peace now, _Sleet thought with a wry shake of her head. _I will never take it for granted ever again. _An aching feeling of sorrow had taken residence deep within her. _I'm ready to go home. _

Sleet past several more little groups before she found her cats clustered beneath a sapling oak. She wove among them until she came to where Misty lay on her side in the center of the group, Gravel and Brindle bending over her.

"Thanks," Gravel grunted as he took the clump of marigold from Sleet, his eyes never leaving Misty.

Sleet flicked her ear in reply as she leaned down to touch noses with the longhaired she-cat. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm in pain, but I'll be fine," Misty replied between labored breaths.

"Good, because you better not die on us." Despite her jovial tone, worry twisted inside Sleet.

"I won't." Misty met her gaze steadily. "I promise." With a grin like a cheeky kit, she tipped her head at Gravel. "He'll make sure of that."

"You should stop talking," Gravel ordered. "You need to save your strength."

Sleet smiled at the look the two of them shared, like many others she'd caught them having when they thought no one was watching.

Brindle looked up from where she was licking the blood away from a wound on Misty's left flank. She angled her ears toward Sleet. "You should take care of your wounds as well. We can't have our leader die on us."

Sleet nodded before turned away to move among her cats, checking on them as she went. Her heart grew heavy as she pressed her muzzle to Ginger's forehead. The tortoiseshell she-cat huddled close to Adder and remained dead-still, the usual brightness in her eyes dim as he murmured soothing words into her ear. As Sleet padded away, she was relieved to see Ginger stir slightly and twine her tail with Adder's.

"Well fought, Darcy," Sleet greeted the pale brown she-cat who sat a short ways from the others.

Darcy gave her a nostalgic smile. "You too. You've come a long way from that scared but brash kit I first met. I think we both got justice for our families today."

The dark gray she-cat drew in a deep breath. "Yes, we did."

Sleet's swallowed as if she could dislodge the lump of emotion wedged in her throat as she turned, at last, to the final group. With a heavy sigh, she padded toward them, but her steps were sluggish as if her paws were stuck in the mud.

Blackjack rested his chin on Pepper's head as she leaned against him. Across from them, Bounce sat as erect and still as a rush stalk, although the tip of his tail twitched occasionally. Pebble sat to his left, hugging her tail close to herself, her eyes rimmed with red. They all sat in a circle around Sparrow's body, whose fur was groomed and eyes closed peacefully as they kept their vigil.

"Blackjack, Pepper, Bounce, Pebble." The cats stirred, awakening from their daze of grief. "I'm so sorry for your loss. Sparrow was a kind and thoughtful and talented young cat. He deserved to live for many more moons, not to die like this. I'm sorry," she said again, her guilt seeping despite what Misty had told her.

Blackjack rose, limping toward her as if he were moons older than he was. Though with his haggard face, tired eyes, and dragging tail, he looked as if he had aged moons in a single sunrise. But his voice still retained its usual strength as he addressed Sleet. "Thank you for your kind words. I grieve for my son, but I do not blame you for his death. Don't blame yourself."

Pepper murmured her agreement as Sleet touched her nose to her ear.

A loud snort made Sleet whirl around, her whiskers twitching in surprise. Bounce stood with his lashing as seethed at his leader with an emotion she'd never seen before in his eyes—fury.

"Bounce—" The dark gray she-cat started, but the young tom cut her off as he whipped around and stalked away. _What just happened? _She looked inquiringly at Blackjack, her brow furrowed.

The older tom sighed. "He just lost his brother. He will need some time."

_Ah. _Sleet nodded in understanding. She wandered away, letting her cats resume their mourning in peace. She paused at the fringe of where the street cats had settled, her gaze drifting around her before she connected gazes with Creek. He stood near the Clan cats with his three kits; Tall Pine, Blossom Dust, and the black and white dappled she-cat named Spotted Owl, along with a few other cats, including the creamy-brown she-cat she recognized as the cat he had rescued, and a small reddish-brown kit.

"Hi there." Creek's familiar lopsided grin made Sleet's heart ache as he trotted over to her.

"Hello." Sleet twitched her tail awkwardly. "Those three are your kits, right?"

"Yes." Creek's face shone with pride. "Tall Pine, Blossom Dust, and their sister Spotted Owl, who we rescued." He bowed his head low. "I'm sorry for your loss but thank you so much for your cats' and your help. I am in your debt."

Sleet looked around herself, noticing for the first time the groups of Clan cats and loners who were greeting the freed prisoners. Despite their injuries and the deaths, nothing but joy was prevalent on all of the cats' faces. _We to do this, _Sleet thought, joy bubbling inside her. _We helped to free the prisoners. We helped to reunite friends and family. Sparrow did not die for nothing, and I made the right decision. The battle was worth it. _She inclined her head to Creek. "Of course. I'm glad we could help."

Creek followed Sleet's gaze as she peered curiously at the creamy-brown she-cat who was nuzzling the little tom. "That's Daffodil," he said, his eyes brimming with affection as he stole a glance over his shoulder at her. "She's my mate now. And our son is that little tom, Cedar. They were also prisoners of the Bands." He tipped his head. "Would you like to come to join us?"

Sleet hesitated. "No." She shook her head. "No, thank you." As Creek turned away, she stopped him. "Creek, before you go, I want to say that I'm sorry, for everything that happened. And—" she swallowed "—I'm glad that you are reunited with your family. I'm glad that you found someone you truly love. I wish you happiness and good fortune."

Creek smiled over his shoulder at her. "I wish you the same. Goodbye, Sleet. Maybe our paths will cross again one day."

Sleet returned his smile. "Maybe."

Sorrow touched the dark gray she-cat's heart she headed back toward her cats, but mostly she felt contentment. At long last, she had made things right, and she could let go now.

Sleet's ears pricked up as a dark gray cat shuffling lopsidedly toward her caught her attention. She hurried over to Slate, touching noses with him before she helped him gently lay Harvest's body on a nest of oak leaves. "Hey. I've been looking for you."

Slate sniffed. "Yeah. I needed to be by myself for a while."

Sleet studied her brother, her attentive gaze taking the crusted blood on his pelt, his careworn face, slumped shoulders, and hollow eyes more from grief than exhaustion. "How are you doing?"

Her brother let out a long sigh. His eyes alighted on the prostrate body of his mate and then darted away. "I don't know what to do, honestly."

Sleet's heart clenched in her chest. _Oh, my dear brother. I can't imagine what you must be feeling. But I'm here for you. _She stepped to his side, pressing herself against him. He crumbled like an old building into her, and she helped him sink slowly into the ground. She began to lick the blood from his fur as he muffled his sobs with his paws.

Sleet watched out of the corner of her eye as the Clan cats called everyone together. She listened as they thanked everyone who had come to help, as the loners made a surprising request, and as they all bid each other farewell. The meeting was dispersing as Slate finally stirred.

Slate sat up and shook out his pelt. He turned to his sister, blinking the tears out of his honey-gold eyes. "Thank you."

Sleet pressed her muzzle to his cheek, breathing in his scent. "Of course."

Slate glanced around at the cats heading off into the trees. "It looks like it's time to go."

She smiled mournfully. "Yes, it is. My cats need to get home and bury Sparrow."

He nodded. "I should get home to my kits. They'll—" he paused, choking on emotion. "They'll want to know what happened."

"Would you like help to carry Harvest back? It's a long way."

"No. No, thank you. This is something I need to do myself."

"Okay. Goodbye, then," Sleet murmured, trying her best to fight back the tears from her immense well of sorrow for her brother's sake.

Slate shook his head. "No, not goodbye. You will be coming to visit."

"Oh?" Sleet blinked, but slowly, a smile stretched across her face. "Of course. So not goodbye. A see you later."

Slate returned her smile as she helped him lay Harvest's body across his back. "See you soon."

Sleet's heart swelled with sorrow, but also happiness as her cats and her began their long trek home. They had fought a hard battle today and lost many loved ones, but they had triumphed over the Bands. They had shown the Bands that they would not stand by and be hurt anymore. They would fight back. And they had rescued scores of prisoners who had suffered under the Bands' claws and brought them back to their loved ones. The Bands would attack again, but they would be ready. The Clans had promised their help. All of them would unite again to defeat the Bands—one day. For now, Sleet was content to go home, help her cats heal, bury and mourn Sparrow, and visit her brother soon.

_But most of all, _she thought, _I'm ready to live in peace._

* * *

**Phew! Wow, that took me sooooo long. Sorry it's late, but there's enough here for three chapters. I didn't mean for it to be this long, but it kinda ended up this way. I could have put it into three separate chapters, but I thought it should be just one because it feels much more like a complete chapter all together.**

**So, this is pretty much the end of Sleet's story. I definitely feel like this is a complete and satisfying story and that she's grown and changed so much (this does take place over a long time), but she's come full circle as a character. She's finally figured out a way to deal with her past and her emotions, and make up with Creek and Slate, and let it go. I'm so happy Sleet and Slate found each other again!**

**While this is the end of her story, I'm pretty sure that we will see her again in a future book. She will be a different cat than the siblings remember, mostly because of what you will find out soon in the very short epilogue. I originally thought my idea for the epilogue would be good, but now I'm not so sure, so we'll see. I might choose this idea, come up with another for the epilogue, or not have one at all. So if not, I'll see you in the next book!**

**QOTD: What did you like the most about this novella? Who is your favorite character? What could be improved?**

**Thank you for reading both the long chapter and long author's note!**

**\- A Warrior At Heart**


	16. Epilogue

**Epilogue **

The storm roared its fury like an angry metalbeast above the sodden rooftops of the town. The wind howled along the narrow alleyways and tossed the graceful bows of the willow in a furious dance. The rain pounded down in torrents from a cloud-choked sky. Most—No-fur, metalbeast, and cat alike—had the sense to stay inside, warm and dry—except for the street cats.

_It's fitting weather for a burial, _Sleet thought bitterly. The rain plastered her fur to her sides and mingled with her salty tears to blur her vision as she gazed at the shallow ditch in the soft dirt. Her chest tightened as Blackjack and Gravel carefully lowered the sodden body into the ground. Rain soaked the silver fur, turning it gray, and making it seem small and fragile. The midnight-blue eyes were closed as if she was sleeping, but she would never wake again.

Sleet tore her eyes away, squeezing her them shut. Her heart felt as though a claw was stabbing her through it. _Misty, you promised that you wouldn't die on us. _

Blackjack climbed out of the hole, but Gravel lingered. He buried his nose in Misty's wet fur, breathing in her scent one last time. The rain had turned his pelt a dark gray, a somber color that matched the lifelessness in his eyes ever since Misty had died two sunrises before.

In the last half-moon since the battle, Misty had wavered on the edge of life and death. Despite Sleet and Gravel's urging, she insisted that she was well enough to travel home and help with Sparrow's burial. But her wounds had been far more extensive than she'd let on, and the activity had only exacerbated them. For the next several sunrises, Misty had lain in her nest in the Den, sometimes better, sometimes worse. Though she had endless work to do, and the rest of the street cats to worry about, Sleet had sat with Misty as much as she could, and Gravel never left her side. It was a long, agonizing battle, and even though they did everything they could, they still lost.

_Let me go; _Sleet remembered Misty telling her before she died. _It's okay; _she had said when Sleet had protested. _I'm proud of you and who you've become. You've been like a daughter to me. You don't need my advice anymore; you will know what the right thing to do is. I wish I could stay, but it's my time. _

Sleet's chest clenched with the memory of her sobs as she had stepped back to let Misty and Gravel speak, voicing for the first time their love for each other before she had passed. The bright moon had floated high in the sky, but the storm rolled in not soon after as if the world was mourning Misty's death. They had tried to wait out the storm, but after two sunrises, Sleet decided it was time.

Ginger, raindrops dripping from her whiskers, leaned forward to nudge Gravel's flank gently. He tipped his head back toward the sky, and let out a mewl of anguish like a little kit. The sound tore Sleet's heart, and she silently echoed his grief. The pale gray tom turned and hauled himself out of the grave, letting Ginger lead him away.

Sleet turned away as Pepper, Blackjack, Darcy, and Adder pushed soil into the hole, little by little covering Misty's body. Her gaze wandered across the grassy glade to a pool of water at the heart whose surface rippled, stirred by the gale. Slender birches and graceful willows encircled the pond, concealing this corner of the No-Fur park from prying eyes—though there was no one else out on a day like this. A thick patch of grass grew close to the water's edge, and in the center sat a black rock shot through with veins of white.

Sleet padded a couple of pawsteps away, stopping as she reached another patch of earth, this one freshly upturned earth beneath a low branch of the willow. Some of its long fronds brushed bumpy brown rock nestled between dried flowers and the first blades of grass poking up from the bare dirt. Beneath the soil lay Sparrow's body where they had laid him to rest half a moon before.

The dark gray she-cat shook her head with a heavy sigh. Exhaustion filled her from her ears to her paws. _There's been too much death lately. _

Movement at the edge of her vision caught her attention. Pebble broke away from the rest of the street cats, stopping at Sparrow's grave and bending over to touch her nose to the ground. Her drenched speckled coat was clung to her frame, showing her slightly rounded belly even more clearly than usual. Sleet's heart lifted a little. _Even in death and darkness, new life still comes. We will never forget Misty or Sparrow, but we cannot get caught in the past as the rest of the world moves on. We must go on. _

A small burst of hope broke through Sleet's cloud of sorrow as she glanced over her shoulder, catching sight of Ginger and Adder, who leaned against each other, taking comfort in one another. _By next warm season, the Den is going to be full of kits. _

Sleet and Pebble rejoined the group as they made a circle around the filled-in hole. Gravel set a smooth gray stone in the center of the bare earth, marking the spot where Misty's body lay. He stepped back into the circle with a long sigh, his tail dragging in the dust behind him.

Sleet cleared her throat. Despite her earlier reflections, tears still prickled the corners of her eyes. "Misty—" she began but broke off as she choked down a lump in her throat. "Misty was a wonderful cat. She was gentle and kind, steadfast as stone, and very wise. She was always there for everyone, and she always knew what to say. Her advice was invaluable to me as a leader. She was always there when I needed her. She was like a mother to me." She paused again to draw in a shaky breath. "I'll miss her so much."

A hushed murmur of consensus rose from the street cats like early morning mist from a lake. One by one, they each took a turn to speak, sharing kind words, a memory, or a story in honor of Misty. Sorrow and tears fell like the pouring rain all around them.

Brindle remembered how kind and welcoming Misty had been when she'd first joined the street cats.

Blackjack and Pepper thanked Misty for her wisdom when they were nervous parents of newborn kits, and for her consolation after two of them had died.

Darcy praised Misty's quiet leadership and undying loyalty.

Bounce shared how she always made time to play with Pebble, Sparrow, and him as kits, and he would miss her.

At last, Gravel was the only one who had not spoken. He had stared fixedly on the stone marking Misty's grave while the other spoke, but he stirred as Ginger touched her tail to his shoulder as if waking from a nightmare into a more unpleasant reality.

"It's okay," Ginger said, her brow wrinkled with concern. "You don't have to speak."

"No." Gravel shook his head. His gruff voice was barely audible over the patter of rain. He cleared his throat, his countenance marred by grief. "Misty was the best cat that I've ever known. She was courageous. She was loving. She was selfless. She rescued when I was at my lowest, and she has stood by all of us. We all owe her a debt we can never repay. I shouldn't have waited so long to tell her—" He broke off as his body crumbled to the earth, earthquake sobs shaking his sturdy frame. Sleet padded to his side and pressed her muzzle to his forehead. "—to tell her how much I love her," he choked out.

After several heartbeats, Sleet and Ginger helped Gravel to his paws, the latter helping him place a flower on Misty's grave before leading him away. One by one, the rest of the street cats collected their flowers and set them on the grave in farewell. They all padded away, heading back to the Yard until Sleet was the only one left. Slowly, she picked up the last flower and laid it on the top of the stone. She lingered, gazing at the bare earth, her sorrow spilling over in the space that the silence left. _Oh, Misty. I cannot believe that you're gone. Your absence has left a hole in our group—and my heart. We need you. I know that you told me we would be all right, but what are we going to do without you? _

The dark gray she-cat took a deep breath, composing herself. She leaned over and pressed her nose to the stone. _I miss you so much. We will mourn for you, and go on—as you wanted—but we will never forget you. Goodbye, Misty. _She raised her head, her gaze sweeping the clearing before she padded away, her heart aching with every step. Three stones sat in the glade by the pond. Misty. Sparrow. Ace. So many dead, and so many more that weren't there. Her parents. Harvest. The dead Clan cats and loners. She was grief-stricken but also tired. So tired. Deep within her, something didn't feel right.

. . .

Sleet's pace was sluggish as she rose from where she lay at the edge of the camp and padded toward the Den. Her heart was heavy as well, but after three sunrises of internal turmoil and dispute, she knew at last what she needed to do.

"Bounce." The black tom stirred drowsily from where he lounged in a pool of lazy sunlight. His face took on a sullen expression as Sleet halted in front of him, but she ignored his surly manner. "Can you tell everyone to gather in the Den?"

Bounce hesitated but nodded. He rose and loped across the Yard as Sleet headed in the opposite direction toward the Den. Cool darkness fell over her as she slipped inside the entrance and took a seat beneath the first shelf, facing the opening. Wrapping her tail around her paws, she waited.

Pepper and Brindle were the first to enter and took a seat near Sleet. Blackjack joined them a few heartbeats later. Pebble stepped through the entrance and sent a confused glance at Bounce, who was right behind her, but he shrugged. Ginger and Adder murmured in confusion with their heads bent together as they sat down to Sleet's left. Darcy lingered near the entrance, sliding her claws in and out. Gravel was the last to join them, and he flopped down in the back corner of the Den.

Sleet drew in a deep breath, trying to calm the nervous moths fluttering in her stomach. It was one thing to make up her mind, but it was quite another to tell her cats. _I hope they'll be okay. _

The leader cleared her throat. "Everyone, I've spent a lot of time thinking these past few sunrises, and I've come to a decision." Her cats quieted, waiting tensely. "It has been difficult lately. We are all still grieving for Sparrow, and now for Misty." She inclined her head at Pepper, Blackjack, Bounce, Pebble, and Gravel in turn. "I've felt especially weary and dismal lately, but at first, I wasn't sure why. I realized that I've been pushing myself too hard so that I could stay strong for you all. I didn't give myself time to rest or grieve after the battle. I now think that it would be best for me to take some space to rest and think."

"Sleet." Ginger rose, her face titled in confusion, and her ears pulled back. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying—" the dark gray she-cat took a deep breath, preparing herself "—that I'm going to leave."

"What?" Blackjack leaped to his paws, his fur bristling incredulously.

"But you're our leader," Pebble protested, her eyes wide and anxious. "You can't leave us."

"Don't be a fluff-brain," Darcy growled. "Have you thought this through?"

Pepper tilted her head curiously, silently questioning, though she didn't add to the clamor of voices.

"How could you even say that?" Ginger stared at Sleet open-mouthed, betrayal darkening her eyes.

"Hey," Gravel barked. Shock froze the cats in place as the light gray tabby tom stood. This was the first time Sleet had ever heard him speak so loudly—the first time he'd even spoken since Misty's burial. "How dare you all doubt Sleet like this? She's our leader. If she says that she's going to leave, she must have a good reason and a plan, so you all should hush and listen to her."

Gravel glanced at Sleet, and their eyes connected over the heads of the other cats. He gave her a small nod, and she mouthed 'thank you' in return. She knew he understood what she meant because he was going through the same thing.

"Gravel is right," Sleet said, turning her attention back to her cats, who watched her in stunned silence. "I'm leaving because I need time to take care of myself and think about some things. But I won't be gone forever. I will come back."

Adder rose to his paws, his whiskers twitching. "Where will you go?"

Sleet sent him a reassuring smile, though a thorny branch of nerves ensnared her stomach. "I plan on visiting my brother." _If he'll have me. _"He lives on a farm near here, so I won't be too far away."

"But who will be our leader?" Brindle spoke up, worry creasing her brow.

Sleet couldn't contain her grin. Her eyes sparkled like sunlit ice, and her tail swished back and forth. "Bounce will be your leader while I'm gone." Several cats sucked in their breath, and all heads turned toward the small tom who gaped at her. "Although he is young, he has demonstrated exemplary leadership qualities. He is bold, quick-thinking, energetic, and perseverent, but also kind. He fought valiantly in the battle against the Bands. He still has a lot to learn, but I know that you all will be there to help him."

A long silence ensued as Sleet finished speaking. She breathed a sigh of relief as each of the street cats murmured their consent. _This is it. I'm really leaving. _Her limbs were limp reeds with amazement. Her paws carried her as she wove through her cats, saying goodbye to them. Although she knew she would see them again, it still felt like she was leaving forever.

Pepper stepped forward and touched her nose to Sleet's forehead. "Don't worry about us, Sleet. We will all take care of each other; I'll make sure of it. You take care of yourself and come back to us when you're ready."

"Thank you, Pepper," Sleet purred. "I'm sure you will." Knowing the motherly she-cat, she would. She dipped her head to Blackjack to hung back, pinning his ears against his head. "Goodbye, Blackjack."

The black tom inclined his head in return, though he didn't meet her gaze. "Safe travels," he said gruffly.

Sleet smiled faintly as she padded away; she knew that this was as much as she was going to get out of Blackjack. He disapproved of her decision, but he would come around.

The gray she-cat trotted to Ginger's. Guilt twisted inside her stomach, making her ears pull back. She tilted her head, trying to meet her friend's gaze. "Are you okay?"

Ginger bit her lip, hesitating for a heartbeat. She took a deep breath, and finally met Sleet's gaze, her eyes glistening with emotion. "I will be," she promised. "I'm sorry for how I acted. I understand why you're leaving, but still." Her voice grew small. "We need you."

Sleet nodded. "I know." She pressed herself fiercely against her best friend's flank. "I will be back, I promise."

Ginger nodded dejectedly, but she nuzzled Sleet in return.

_I hope she'll be okay. _Sleet stepped away hesitantly. _I'm sorry, Ginger, but I need to take care of myself. _

Adder came up beside Ginger and extended his nose to touch Sleet's. "I'll take care of her. Be safe, Sleet."

Sleet's heart warmed. "Thank you." She nosed Adder's ear appreciatively and then moved on. Her heart tugged her backward as her paws carried her forward. She glanced over her shoulder as Ginger leaned against Adder and gave her a small smile.

Darcy planted herself in Sleet's path, her expression stern, but her ears were laid back. "You'd better come back to us safely, or I will find you."

"I will, I promise." Sleet chuckled, but her expression quickly grew serious. She leaned forward. "Darcy, I wouldn't leave if I didn't know I could depend on you. You have invaluable experience and exceptional fighting skills. I need you to use them to help Bounce if anything should happen. I trust you to keep our cats safe."

Darcy's eyes rounded at Sleet's statement, but she nodded gravely, her gaze holding Sleet's. "I will protect them with my life."

"Thank you," Sleet murmured. The burden on her shoulders lessened slightly, only for her to be greeted next by Pebble's troubled expression. "Don't worry." Sleet touched her nose to the young she-cat's ear. "You are going to be fine. Pepper, Brindle and everyone else are here to help you with your kits."

"Absolutely," Brindle added, nuzzling her daughter.

"And even if I'm not back for good, I will come back to see your kits after they're born," Sleet assured her.

"Thank you," Pebble said softly, her eyes fixed on her paws.

"One of us will come to get you when it's time," Brindle told Sleet. She dipped her head. "Farewell."

"Goodbye." Sleet nodded to them and made her way over to Gravel, who sat by himself in the back corner of the Den. She paused in front of him and tilted her head. "How are you doing?"

The pale gray tom let out a long sigh. "As well as can be expected, I guess."

Sleet nodded in silent understanding. "Thank you for your support."

"Of course. You deserve some time to go take care of yourself."

"Thank you." The dark gray she-cat dipped her head to him. She was beginning to turn away but whirled back around as an idea occurred to her. "Gravel, would you like to come with me?"

Gravel pricked his ears. He thought for a few heartbeats, but at last, he shook his head. "Thank you for the kind offer, but I'd rather stay here—close to Misty."

"Okay." Sleet touched noses with him and murmured goodbye before she headed away. Bounce, the last street cat, sat to one side of the entrance. He had wrapped his tail around his paws and sat erectly, his jaw set and his yellow eyes observing Sleet with a cold indifference that obscured some more profound emotions.

"Bounce," Sleet greeted him. She shifted from paw to paw as she paused in front of him.

The small black tom gazed at her a heartbeat longer, ferocity burning in his eyes, but then he turned his head, refusing to meet her gaze.

_Well, that it's then. _The dark gray she-cat stepped back, though it felt like a thorn was piercing her heart. _He still blames me for Sparrow's death. _Her steps were slow as she left the Den and walked a few steps onto the lush carpet of the Yard. She took a long heartbeat to gaze back over her shoulder at the crowd of faces peering after her. A smile broke like the sun from the clouds across her face at the love and encouragement glistening in their eyes. _Thank you all for letting me go. I will come back. I promise. _

Sleet waved her tail at her cats in goodbye as she tensed her hindquarters and leaped with a rattle onto the silver trash cans. From there, she ascended to the roof of the Den and clawed her way up the pitched roof of the big No-Fur building. At the pinnacle, she paused to catch her breath and looked around herself, taking in the rooftops splayed out beneath her like she was a bird soaring high on upward drafts. A carefree breeze buffeted her fur, carrying with it the smokey tang of metalbeast and the musk of No-Furs. This town had been her home for more than two-thirds of her life. She knew every inch of it—every bustling street, every dark corner—but the time had come to leave for a while, to start a new adventure. _I love my home. I need to leave it for now, but I will be back. _

As Sleet began to pad along the precarious top of the slanted roof, she was startled that she felt no sorrow or regret, only excitement for things to come. For now, she was free.

"Sleet, wait!" A shrill call made the former leader freeze. She carefully maneuvered herself around, so she faced Bounce as he dashed along the rooftop toward her. He stumbled once but caught himself before he fell and pulled up short in front of her.

"Yes, Bounce?" Her tail tip twitched as the black tom caught his breath.

Bounce's face was tense as he picked at the roof with his claw, suddenly shy. "I'm sorry for how I was behaving just now," he confessed. "And I'm so sorry for how I've treated you in the past half-moon. I've been mean and disrespectful, but you have to understand—"

She silenced him with a flick of her tail. "You don't have to explain; I understand."

Bounce leaned down and gave his chest fur a couple of licks, looking sheepish for once. "Thank you." He looked up. "I had to ask before you left; why did you pick me as the next leader? There are so many older, wiser, and more qualified cats in our group."

Sleet sighed, though she smiled indulgently. "Everything I said back in the Den is true. You are strong, resilient, more courageous than most cats your age, but most of all, you are compassionate and understanding. While you are young, all of those older cats will be there if you need help or advice. Your youthful energy is your strength."

Bounce's eyes grew wider and wider as she spoke as if he couldn't quite believe her.

Sleet closed the distance between them, pressing her muzzle to his head. "I am confident that you will be a great leader while I'm gone. I hope that you will not make the same mistakes that I did. I know you are angry over your brother's death and that you blame me for it, but do not let your emotions cloud your judgment. Learn from both of our mistakes. Open up the borders again, and be a better leader than I will ever be."

Bounce's head jerked up, and he stared at her indignantly. "What are you talking about? You're an amazing leader. You have always been my hero. I don't think that I can ever be as good of a leader as you. You're coming back, right?"

Sleet smiled down at him. "Right." As Bounce dipped his head to her and hurried back along the rooftop, she turned to face the other direction. "I will," she promised herself. "One day."

. . .

The rays of the setting sun stretched across the vast expanse of farm fields. Sleet walked in the long shadow of the fence that ran parallel to her; her eyes fixed on the great barn that loomed in the distance, dark against the bright backdrop of a lush woodland and beyond it, the imposing peaks of colossal mountains plastered against a fading sky. A brisk wind whipped across the fields, tossing up clouds of dust and carrying scents on it from further than she could see. The expanse made Sleet's pelt prickle, making her feel exposed and vulnerable. She quickened her pace.

Amidst a tangle of smells, Sleet detected the cat scent grow stronger as she neared the barn. Harvest's was still there, though fading fast. Her heart fluttered as she recognized Slate's scent. Her earlier excitement had vanished, replaced by rising nerves. _Will he let me stay with them?_

Sleet halted as she reached the shadow of the barn and glanced around herself. She was trying to figure out what to do next, when Slate rounded the side of the barn, a plump rat dangling from his mouth.

"Sleet!" He exclaimed, dropping his prey as he rushed to greet his sister.

"Hi, Slate. It's nice to see you," Sleet replied, smiling as she touched noses with him, though worry still twisted inside her.

Slate retracted his head, blinking in confusion. "What are you doing here? I thought it would be a while before you came to visit."

"I needed to leave the street cats for a while," Sleet explained. "The past half-moon has been hard, and I needed some time to take care of myself and to think about some things."

"So you came here," Slate concluded.

Sleet nodded. "I would like to stay with you for a while." She swallowed, trying to quell the tingles in her stomach. _If you'll have me. _"Would that be all right?"

A smile spread across Slate's face. "Of course. I would love to have you." He padded a couple of steps and beckoned to her with his tail. "Come, meet my kits."

Relief washed through Sleet like a refreshing sprinkle of rain as she followed her brother inside through a gap between the large door and the wall. The dry earthy scent of hay and the rich musk of prey greeted her as she slipped inside. Slate paused as few steps inside, his dark gray pelt barely a shadow in the gloom.

"Swallow, Chestnut," he called. "Come on down."

Two furry little faces peeped like owlets over the edge of a loft high up, and then two kits careened down the steep ladder. They tossed up stalks of hay as they bounded across the floor, darting in and out of pools of light from the windows high above as they raced toward Sleet and Slate. They hurtled into their father, bowling him over with an 'oof.'

"Sleet," Slate chuckled, trying to stand, but failing as his kits swarmed over him. "These rascals are my kits, Swallow and Chestnut."

Sleet grinned, touched by the warmth and affection between the small family. She looked around herself, taking in the lofty ceiling, the plethora of prey scents, the cozy hayloft, and then gleeful squeals of kits. For the first time in a while, she felt at ease, content. She couldn't contain her smile. _I am home._

* * *

**Soooo, you know how I said the epilogue would be short. Well, surprise? It is very long in writing and the time it took to write. But here it is! I decided to go with this for many reasons.**

**One, now it really feels to me that Sleet has come full circle because of the final push from Misty's death (also to wrap up that plot detail), so that she's finally taken some time to take care of herself, and is with Slate again!**

**Two, we didn't really get to say goodbye to all of the street cats in the last chapter, so I wanted to do that. They're such a wholesome group and feel like a real family. I wish I had time to delve more into each of their characters because I could write a whole book about each of them. Honestly, I think they're my favorite large cast of characters so far (Spotted, Tall, and Blossom will forever be my favorite trio), and I think I've grown a lot as a writer writing them and this novella.**

**Three, the idea that Bounce should be leader has been bouncing (pun unintended) around in my brain since the beginning of the book, so I wanted to put that in, and bring his character arc to a close.**

**So, now that that's done, on to the next book! *cheers* Sleet was an interesting character to write, and I learned a lot from her, but I am excited to return to our trio, and find out what is in store next! I am definitely planning on having Sleet and everyone else return, but probably not until the book after the next. I still have a lot left to plan, and I actually have to start writing, but I'm hoping to have it posted in the next six weeks. So, see you then!**

**Q(s)OTD: Who was your favorite character/what was your favorite part of this novella? (Mine would have to be Bounce, and Ginger or Slate if I got to develop them more.) What are you looking forward to in the next book? (****For me, it has to be writing from Spotted Owl's perspective again, and seeing how much our trio grow up!)**

**\- A Warrior At Heart**


End file.
